9.25.2020
Buffalo Rap Group 14 trapdoors (Wza, Bendyface & Short Moscato) Share New Album Eileen, Available On All Platforms
The Trio Shares an Incendiary and Timely Video for “Means To The End” ft. Boldy James, Royce Da 5’9″ & Billie Essco
The Offbeat Buffalo Rap Trio Team With Producer Camoflauge Monk For a New Album, With Appearances from Benny The Butcher, Smoke DZA, Che Noir, and Many More
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:
Emerging from a close-knit Buffalo rap scene, 14 trapdoors stand apart with their vibrant chemistry and substance-friendly lyricism. Showcasing their expert-level three-man weave over the course of 10 tracks, the trio comprised of Wza, Bendyface, and Short Moscato shares Eileen, their new album. 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 new album finds them sinking their teeth into exquisite beats from Camoflauge Monk (Westside Gunn, Tha God Fahim), whose sparkling, textured, and bleak soundscapes evoke a frosty evening in Western New York. Carving through Monk’s ice cold beats, the three emcees inhabit each instrumental with their brash demeanor and electric chemistry, occasionally highlighting punchlines with three-man chants. Featuring appearances from Benny The Butcher, Boldy James, Che’ Noir, Royce Da 5’9″, Smoke Dza, and more, Eileen is available everywhere via The Media Music Inc.
The new album arrives alongside the group’s video for “Means To The End,” the tape’s incendiary closing track. Camo Monk provides a stark and dreary atmosphere, complete with upright bass and ringing vibraphones, allowing each emcee to expound upon what they would do if they had 24 hours to live: Boldy James would kiss his kids, Royce Da 5’9 would put out his blunt on Donald Trump’s toupee, etc. Directed by Liza “RED” Ostanina & Dre Howard, the video for “Means To The End” ably reflects our apocalyptic present, piecing together clips of protests from this summer, incidents of police brutality (including one that occurred in the trio’s hometown of Buffalo), and archival footage of past justice movements, intercut with joyous expressions of dance from marginalized individuals.
“Means To The End” is the latest standout single from Eileen, following the supremely laidback “Orion’s Belt” featuring Che Noir, the Benny The Butcher and Rick Hyde-featuring banger “I Did It All” (premiered by Earmilk and covered in Brooklyn Vegan, 2DopeBoyz, and more), and the reverb-heavy “LOVE” ft. DNTWATCHTV & Medusa. Previously unheard highlights include the “Most Of The Time,” a lyrical exercise in 6/8 time that shows off the group’s in-sync personalities, and “Curbside Pickup,” the weeded-out opening track.
Buy/Stream Eileen: https://lnk.to/14trapdoorsEileen
Watch “Means To The End” ft. Boldy James, Royce Da 5’9″ & Billie Essco: https://youtu.be/h4bsY_h0few
Eileen tracklist:
1. Curbside Pickup ft. Smoke DZA
2. LOVE ft. DNTWATCHTV & Medusa
3. I Did It All ft. Benny The Butcher & Rick Hyde
4. Most Of The Time
5. Kaleidoscope ft. Qari
6. Hypothesis ft. Skyzoo
7. My Bad ft. Chango4
8. Orion’s Belt ft. Che Noir
9. The End (Interlude)
10. Means To The End (24hr Left) ft. Boldy James, Royce Da 5’9″ & Billie Essco
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:
official site | twitter | instagram | facebook | youtube | spotify
Eileen: https://lnk.to/14trapdoorsEileen
“Means To The End” ft. Boldy James, Royce Da 5’9″ & Billie Essco: https://youtu.be/h4bsY_h0few
“Love” ft. DNTWATCHTV & Medusa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG6c_HxE_XA
“Orion’s Belt” ft. Che Noir: https://lnk.to/OrionsBelt
“I Did It All” ft. Benny The Butcher & Rick Hyde: https://lnkfi.re/IDidItAll