08.7.2020

Video: 14 trapdoors – “Orion’s Belt” ft. Che Noir (Prod. by Camoflauge Monk)

The Buffalo Rap Trio Invite One of Their City’s Best Rappers for a Twinkling Highlight from the Upcoming Eileen Album

Critical Praise:

“Buffalo rap trio 14 trapdoors (aka Short Moscato, Bendyface and Wza) have been leaving their mark on their local scene for over a year now.. They also strongly recall classic Def Jux stuff like El-P and Aesop Rock (both of whom they cite as influences), and fans of that stuff should definitely check these guys out.” – Brooklyn Vegan

“The self-produced track showcases the group vying their best to out rhyme each other over a minimalist, entrancing soundscape. The song was treated to an equally beguiling psychedelic video, which shows the group in their element skateboarding and lighting fireworks.” – Impose

The Video:

Delivering offbeat bars in distinct styles, Buffalo trio 14 trapdoors are motivated by a love of rapping and a limitless creative drive. Teaming up with fellow Queen City native Che Noir for a lyrical and ethereal video single, the group shares “Orion’s Belt.” With a warped, twinkling beat from Buffalo beatmaker Camoflauge Monk, “Orion’s Belt” finds all four emcees discussing their ambitions and money motivations: Bendyface counts his currency, WZA dreams of early retirement, Short Moscato spits in the face of the Grim Reaper, and Che Noir fantasizes about sipping champagne in a hotel jacuzzi.

“Che is a great rapper and a really cool person,” say 14 trapdoors. “None of us had a relationship with her before, but when we shot the video we had natural chemistry. It was a lot of fun.”

In the video, directed by DHawks, Che and 14 trapdoors post up in Buffalo (keep an eye out for the cafe at “Elmwood and Cleveland block” where Short Moscato works his day job), as they covertly execute a big money drug transaction. “Orion’s Belt” is the first video from Eileen, the upcoming album from 14 trapdoors, and the second single, following the Benny The Butcher-featuring banger “I Did It All” (premiered by Earmilk and covered in Brooklyn Vegan, 2DopeBoyz, and more).

Named after bendyface’s grandmother who recently passed, Eileen is a stark and pure project, emphasizing bar-for-bar lyricism and flows that toe-tag glistening instrumentals. The project is produced in full by Camoflauge Monk (Westside Gunn, Tha God Fahim), a master of creating sparkling, textured, and bleak soundscapes that evoke a frosty evening in Western New York. The three emcees inhabit each instrumental with their brash demeanor and electric chemistry, occasionally highlighting phrases or punchlines with three-man gang vocals. With appearances from Benny The Butcher, Boldy James, Che Noir, Royce Da 5’9″, Smoke Dza, and more, Eileen arrives on September 11th via The Media Music Inc.

Last month, 14 trapdoors shared Croquet, a new project available only on Bandcamp. An 8-track project produced by 14 trapdoors themselves, proceeds from Croquet benefit OpenBuffalo.org, an organization that fights to advance racial, economic, and ecological justice through skill building, network connecting, and activating leadership opportunities.

Stay tuned for much more music from 14 trapdoors over the coming weeks.

Watch “Orion’s Belt” ft. Che Noir: https://youtu.be/_U11T1rQCF0

Buy/Stream “Orion’s Belt” ft. Che Noir: https://lnk.to/OrionsBelt

Buy Croquet on Bandcamp: https://14trapdoors.bandcamp.com/album/croquet-ep

Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.

The Background:

14 trapdoors have created their own subgenre of Hip-Hop. The trio from Buffalo, New York featuring members bendyface, Short Moscato and Wza cull from a wide range of influences that span Aesop Rock, Big L, El-P, JAY Z and fellow Buffalo artists Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine and Benny the Butcher to Pink Floyd, Prince and Led Zeppelin. “People who gravitate toward the golden age ‘90s boom bap feel will fuck with us because we focus on lyricism and new age youngin’s will fuck with it because we have songs with a more ‘trappy’ vibe, but nothing’s force, through it all we can only be true to ourselves” bendyface says.

Links:

“Orion’s Belt” ft. Che Noir: https://lnk.to/OrionsBelt

“I Did It All” ft. Benny The Butcher & Rick Hyde: https://lnkfi.re/IDidItAll

Croquet: https://14trapdoors.bandcamp.com/album/croquet-ep