I don’t think I would have ever anticipated hearing a rap instrumental sampling a Simply Red track, but Mouse Powell’s sentimental tribute to Arizona, “Holding Home,” manages to pull it off. While the track largely focuses on the Phoenix area (Powell lives in Tempe, so that makes sense), but there is a mention of roadtrips to Tucson and the video includes footage from a pool party at Casino del Sol, so at least that’s something. I don’t know if a Phoenix-centric song would go over too well on a mixtape down here, but Mouse’s style really does lend itself to summertime and poolside boomboxes.
Powell’s latest album, Where It’s Cloudy, is available on Bandcamp.
This article appears in May 10-16, 2012.
Now I am the first one to bash ‘hip hop” attempts on this site… But this was awesome, his flow, the sample, the naked chicks, TUCSON!
Personally I’ll take the naked chicks and Nat King Cole by the pool,plus a few drinks and I would’nt care what town I was in…………