A.Dd+
Gig Seeker Pro

A.Dd+

Dallas, Texas, United States | SELF

Dallas, Texas, United States | SELF
Band Hip Hop

Calendar

Music

Press


"Why Aren’t More People Excited About A.Dd+?"

This afternoon, an e-mail from one of my favorite up and coming rap groups, Dallas’ A.Dd+, appeared in my inbox. It contained their latest freebie “Genocide.” I was ready for it to be good, but I wasn’t at all ready for what I heard.

“Genocide” is, for lack of a more descriptive word (and believe me extended metaphors are coming shortly), strange. It sounds like a combination of Busta’s “Touch It,” some Southern tinged house drums, a healthy heaping of Outkast, and a dash of the experimentalism that typified indie East Coast music in the late 90s (in particular, I’m thinking of Anti-Pop Consortium and some of the noisier noise rap that came out of Def Jux and co.).

Of course, it also sounds like none of those things.

Top Ten Posts

New Music: Yo Gotti feat. Gucci Mane & Juelz Santana - "Colors"New Music: Yo Gotti feat. Gucci Mane & J...
Op. Ed: A Few Reasons Why Drake Should Respond To CommonOp. Ed: A Few Reasons Why Drake Should R...
Photo of the Day: Asaad on New Years (& Exclusive Interview)Photo of the Day: Asaad on New Years (& ...
Lil B the Based God covers <em>WIRE</em>Lil B the Based God covers <em>WIRE</em>
The Don C. Mitchell & Ness SnapbackThe Don C. Mitchell & Ness Snapback
Listen: Drake HYFR (Hell Yeah Fuckin' Right) feat. Lil' WayneListen: Drake HYFR (Hell Yeah Fuckin' Ri...
Video: Lil B - Tiny Pants BitchVideo: Lil B - Tiny Pants Bitch
Video: Yelawolf Tim Westwood FreestlyeVideo: Yelawolf Tim Westwood Freestlye
Exclusive Interview: Bad Bad Not Good Talk Education, Working With Tyler The Creator, Clams CasinoExclusive Interview: Bad Bad Not Good Ta...
Iggy Azalea Confirms Romantic Relationship with A$AP RockyIggy Azalea Confirms Romantic Relationsh...

Pages

ABOUT
BACK ISSUES
CONTACT
PRIVACY POLICY
RESPECT Presents: stylin’ on you with Casio G-Shock
“RESPECT Magazine Presents: Casio G-Shock Giveaway” Sweepstakes Official Rules

@ Twitter

AMERICAN SUBURB X
BEN WATTS
D-NICE
DANNY HASTINGS
ESTEVAN ORIOL/JOKER BRAND
JAMES POMERANTZ
JONATHAN MANNION
JOSH CHEUSE
MICHAEL LAVINE
MIKE SCHREIBER
PHIL KNOTT
SARA ROSEN
STEVE PYKE STUDIO
TERRY RICHARDSON
THE PHOTOGRAPHY POST

Blogroll

A PHOTO EDITOR
A PHOTO STUDENT
ADVANCED STYLE
ANTHONY ACOSTA
BOSTON GLOBE | THE BIG PICTURE
BROCK MILLS
D-NICE JOURNAL
DERICK G.
DOPE DROPS
EMILIANO GRANADO
FEATURE SHOOT
HEDI SLIMANE
HIDEOUT GALLERY
I HEART PHOTOGRAPH
INK BUTTER
JONATHAN MANNION
KENNETH CAPPELLO
KIDS WITH CANDY
LITTLE BROWN MUSHROOM
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC | PHOTOGRAPHY
NINETEEN 80 SNORE
NOAH KALINA
OTHER CRITERIA
PHOTOGRAPHERS LIMITED EDITIONS
SLATE: TODAY'S PICTURES
SOME DUE SOME DON'T
TERRY RICHARDSON
THE F STOP
THE SELBY
THE SMOKING SECTION
VII THE MAGAZINE
VILLAGE SLUM
WE CAN SHOOT TOO
WHITEZINE

Photography

ALEXANDER RICHTER
ANTHONY ACOSTA
ARMEN
BRUCE HALEY
CHAD GRIFFITH
CLIFF ROBINSON
EMILY SHUR
ERIBERTO ORIOL
ILJA MEEFOUT
JAY HANNA
JUSTIN BORUCKI
JUSTIN JAY
JUSTINE REYES
KAREEM BLACK
MAGNUM PHOTOS
MATT SALACUSE
MEGAN JOLLY
MICHAEL SCHMELLING
MO DAOUD
NABIL ELDERKIN
NICHOLAS LORDEN
PETER BESTE
PLATON
ROBERT CASS
STEPHEN CHARLES
STEVE PYKE
TERRY RICHARDSON
THE MAN WITH NO NAME
TREVOR TRAYNOR
TYLER CLINTON
WILL STERNS
ZACH CORDNER

RESPECT. Contributors

AMANDA FRIEDMAN
ANNA BAUER
ANTHONY MANDLER
BARRON CLAIBORNE
BEN WATTS
CHRIS BUCK
CLARK TOLTON
CLAY PATRICK McBRIDE
COLBY KATZ
DAN MONICK
DANNY CLINCH
DUSTIN COHEN
ERNEST ESTIMÉ
ESTEVAN ORIOL
JANETTE BECKMAN
JEROME ALBERTINI
JONATHAN MANNION
JOSH CHEUSE
KENNETH CAPPELLO
MARC BAPTISTE
MARK HARTMAN
MATT GUNTHER
MATTHEW SALACUSE
MEL D. COLE
MELISSA VALLADARES
MICHAEL LAVINE
MICHAEL RUBENSTEIN
MIKE SCHREIBER
NICK FERRARI
PHIL KNOTT
RYAN COLLERD

This afternoon, an e-mail from one of my favorite up and coming rap groups, Dallas’ A.Dd+, appeared in my inbox. It contained their latest freebie “Genocide.” I was ready for it to be good, but I wasn’t at all ready for what I heard.

“Genocide” is, for lack of a more descriptive word (and believe me extended metaphors are coming shortly), strange. It sounds like a combination of Busta’s “Touch It,” some Southern tinged house drums, a healthy heaping of Outkast, and a dash of the experimentalism that typified indie East Coast music in the late 90s (in particular, I’m thinking of Anti-Pop Consortium and some of the noisier noise rap that came out of Def Jux and co.).

Of course, it also sounds like none of those things.

It’s a genuinely refreshing and vital take on what a hip-hop song can sound like, not just a skin graft that places some rapping on a Dubstep beat or samples a Pitchfork favorite and pretends to be cool. It’s the sound of actual inspiration and even if you can’t stand it, with its complete chaos, buzzing bass, and off-putting rhythm, “Genocide” forces you to at least pause for a second and go “What the fuck is that?”

Which gets me on the road to my point. A.Dd+ has been putting out quality music since the beginning of 2011. That’s not a particularly long time, but in an era when ASAP Rocky can literally appear, release 6 songs, and several months later get signed (which is no slight to ASAP, congrats to him and I’m hoping for the best to come) that could be an entire career.

Why don’t people seem to be more interested?

They’ve got a couple of killer songs, which many of their peers are arguably missing (hell, J. Cole just sold 200,000+, and I’d argue he hasn’t recorded a song that could be considered a proper calling card…and don’t say “Lost Ones” or “Work Out”…on a sidenote, J. Cole probably gave one of his finest beats to Kendrick Lamar for “HiiiPower,” giving K Dot a signature song in the process). “Likeamug,” “Greedy,” and, now, “Genocide” stand as diverse, fantastic representations of a young group that deserves praise and recognition far beyond what it has gotten thus far (and to be fair, they’ve gotten love, but it’s hard to feel good about it when Future is apparently driving Ferraris around and YC is signing million dollar major label deals).

So, rather than providing baseless conjecture as to why they haven’t broken yet, or how they can best break on through, I’ve got a plea for you: download their music. Download their debut album, When Pigs Fly. Download their collection of free singles, Loosies. And for the love of the hip-hop gods download “Genocide” and blow your speakers out.

And, for the record, I am not a paid A.Dd+ spokesperson. I am not related to either of the members of the group. I’m not even close to being from Dallas. I’m just a fan with a platform. So I hope you take the time to check out A.Dd+’s music and that you get as excited about it as I do. Along with a handful of other artists, A.Dd+ proves that Hip-Hop isn’t artistically bankrupt. It’s just no longer a viable business. We’re in the midst of exhilarating creative times, so stop complaining about Lex Luger’s drums and Flocka’s lack of deep content and open your ears. - Respect Magazine


"The Top 50 Albums of 2011"

A lot of quality indie rap got buried under all the early-2011 Odd Future think pieces. How else do you explain a mixtape like When Pigs Fly slipping through virtually unnoticed? In any case, while every rap internet commentator was busy scratching around trying to think of something clever to say about Tyler, anybody with half a brain should have been closing their web browsers, firing up a house party and inviting A.Dd+ around to host the whole event.

But nobody was, it seemed. Slim Gravy and Paris P had sat on this Picnic Tyme-produced tape for a year while they built up a profile in their hometown of Dallas, and still the release hardly registered in the wider rap community. That’s a shame because rap music as rambunctious, fun-loving and just straight up good doesn’t come around every month. Picnic Tyme’s meaty, funked-up productions couch A.Dd+’s flows but rarely dominate, allowing the inside-out charisma of Paris and Slim to run rampant. Like Meridan’s Big K.R.I.T., A.Dd+ know how to balance boasts with self-effacement, although they go about it an altogether more breezy fashion.

In another dimension this record would have easily crossed over into the mainstream. “Brain Sex”, “Likeamug” and “Mary Go” all have the making of killer singles, whilst “Under” crimps Little Dragon’s “Twice” to create one of the sweetest downbeat rap cuts of 2011. As it turned out, When Pigs Fly has required the back-up of a steady stream of new material throughout the year to help push A.Dd+ over the line and into the critical spotlight, but as 2011 draws to a close the number of people discovering this mixtape finally seems to be on the rise. A good thing too: it’s nothing less than essential. - Passion Weiss


"You Can Find This on the Internet: Overlooked Mixtapes"

The rap-duo ideal has always been modeled on yin and yang. Complimentary opposites. Q-Tip, the Abstract and the Phife, the Five-Footer. The Pimp and the Bun. On their focused debut, Dallas' Paris Pershun and Slim Gravy of A.Dd+ are the rapper and the poet, the spawn of UGK and OutKast, combining street and cerebral. "Smell My Cologne" borrows its hook from a legendary Pimp C radio interview, and the album's extraterrestrial voodoo comes courtesy of ATLiens. There are Eddie Hazel guitar riffs, "Lodi Dodi" samples, and B-Boy scratches as producer Picnic Tyme teleports via Erykah Badu's Cannabinoids crew and projects an acid-boiled strain of soul music. Paris and Slim proclaim themselves the new Beavis and Butthead, "just a little tanner"-- and like fellow Lone Star Stater Mike Judge, A.Dd+ know how to strike the perfect balance of smart and dumb. - Pitchfork


"A.Dd+'s When Pigs Fly"

Speaking of new albums that are worth their substantial hype, allow us to point you in the direction of another big recent local release: A.Dd+'s When Pigs Fly. That album came out this weekend, with the duo of Slim Gravy and Paris Pershun's a-couple-years-in-the-making masterpiece finally earning its release at a free Friday night party at The Loft.

And make no mistake, the new disc very much is a masterpiece. Writes Nic Hernandez in his album review (on newsstands now!): "When Pigs Fly is a showcase album, a snapshot of an important turning point in local hip-hop." Meanwhile, that's just the start; he also goes on to call the album "fantastic" and, in his conclusion, that "the album is nothing short of a classic."

High praise -- enough to give a reader some pause, no doubt. Except, that, well, it is true. My perspective: When Pigs Fly might be the best hip-hop album Dallas has ever released.

And it's not hard to give it a listen and find out if you agree: The band is releasing the album, in full, as a free download. Grab it here.

You can buy it, too -- and, if you do so on Bandcamp (it's also available for purchase on iTunes), you can get a whole bunch of freebies, in addition to a hard copy of the disc.

Regardless, it's well worth the download -- if not for the smart beats from Picnic or the clever rhymes and flows of this impressive young rap duo, then for DJ Sober's included on the album "I'm So Dallas" mix, which mashes together a whole collection of sound bites from Dallas hip-hop's biggest names, from Lil Wil to Big Tuck and Big Chief to, of course, Ms. Erykah Badu.

Seriously: Go get it. - Dallas Observer


"Last Night: Wu-Tang Clan At The Granada Theater"

To say there was reason to be skeptical when the Granada Theater announced a show with the fully reunited (with the one obvious exception) Wu-Tang Clan would be an understatement. The smart money was on a cancellation, or at best a mostly reunited version of the group with a few missing pieces.

Then, sure enough, just days before the show, RZA drops off the tour. Further fueling the pessimists, U-God was the only Wu member who calls in for a planned group interview with print version of DC9, and offers nothing but apathy about the tour.

But if the Wu -- last night also missing Method Man along with RZA -- had any intention of half-assing their way through the show, they had no choice but to give it their full effort after a blazing opening set from A.Dd+, which was loaded with guest appearances.

A.Dd+ and Picnictyme didn't need any help to get the crowd bouncing, but a great guest appearance from a female singer, Mizz LV, offering beautiful hypnotic backup vocals added a welcome touch of soul to their set. Meanwhile, "Likeamug," which saw appearances from both Brown and Blue of Sore Losers, nearly brought the house down, and definitively proved that all parties are ready for their close-up. The shout-out tribute to Pimp C and one-verse cover of UGK's "International Players Anthem" wasn't necessary to get the crowd on their side, though -- but who'd turn down an opportunity to sing along with it?

Wu tour support La the Darkman couldn't quite match their energy, but gamely put up with "Wu-Tang!" chants and W hand signs throughout his transitional set and seemed to mostly win over a crowd that for the most part had no idea who he was.

But once the beat for "Bring Da Ruckus" started up, all that ceased to matter. And the crowd -- steaming and sweating, nut-to-butt, mostly white and easily the most jam-packed I've ever seen the Granada -- shouted along with every word. It was a mess in the same way the best parties are a hazy, sloppy mess, where you go home reeking of blunt smoke whether or not you indulge, your clothes soaked in other people's sweat and beer.

The chaos extended to the stage, with many songs cut off after a single chorus, and piped in vocal parts from missing (dead or otherwise) members making it look as if there was occasional lip-synching and dudes stepping on each others' lines.

But that's to be expected from such a collective of egos.

The night started with Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) interspersed with Raekwon and GZA solo material, but frequently returned to the obvious crowd favorite 36 Chambers material. They even did "Method Man" in Method's absence, and the crowd didn't seem fazed.

Another highlight was a cameo by Erykah Badu, who stepped on stage long enough to soak in the roar of approval from the crowd but sadly didn't touch the mic. Still, the moment was enough to add to the love-fest, family reunion vibe. As did the appearance from Young Dirty Bastard, son of the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, who led the group through verses of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and "Baby I Got Your Money" in tribute to his father. Which might be why the group's sorta-sincere cover of the O'Jays "Family Reunion" went over so well.

Closing the set with 36 Chambers classics "C.R.E.A.M." and "Protect Ya Neck," the Wu departed in a swarm, leaving some random MCs on the stage to lead the crowd through chants of "Wu! Tang!" until the shouts gradually and awkwardly died down as the realization set in that yup, that was it.

Of course, it wasn't the full Clan promised, but only a sucker would expected as much.

And only an ingrate wouldn't be completely satisfied with the version of Wu that rocked the house for an hour and a half. It was a night showing the best of hip-hop's past and, for those who witnessed A.Dd+ and friends, its future.

Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: My own Wu-Tang ranking would be pretty similar to that of Cory Graves, but with Method Man and ODB higher on the list. Meth's live energy (which was on display in Phoenix a couple days ago -- why'd Dallas get the shaft?) would have put an already bananas show over the top. Also, for all his don't-give-a-shit attitude in pre-show interviews, U-God's tight a capella freestyle after "Method Man" may just move him up from No. 9 in my book.

By The Way: The unexpected opening set by La the Darkman proved to be more than just a time-kill. "Black James Bond" was a great transition from the gritty bounce of A.Dd+ to the Wu's crime narratives.

Random Note: A friend who'd seen the Wu's backstage rider said they requested 162 condoms for this show. Aside from the question of how many condoms each fortysomething Wu member (and, OK, maybe the weed holders in their entourage) could possibly use in a single night, that number seems rather optimistic for another reason -- there may not have even been 162 females at the show. It was a sausage fest. - Dallas Observer


"Chairman's Choice"

Dallas, Texas duo A.Dd+ (pronounced “A-D-D,” silent “+”) triumph with a much delayed project of their own. When Pigs Fly was scheduled for release last year, before the crew went back to the lab with producer Picnic Tyme to rework some material. The resulting fat-free platter strikes an impressive creative balance between Third Coast bravado (the nasty single “Likeamug,” the bass-heavy anthems “Smell My Cologne” and “Southbound”) and self-deprecating quirkiness (the self-explanatory “Greedy,” the dour booze fest “Erica & Jamie”). In theory, A.Dd+’s stylistic dichotomy can be traced to the distinct personas of members Slim Gravy (gruff, brash) and Paris Pershun (artsy, thoughtful) – that is, until you listen and realize that they’re less distinct than they are complimentary pieces essential to a greater whole. As P announces on “The Rapper & the Poet,” “Our melodic notes make everybody jump for hope/And haters look at us different because we don’t take the same approach.” Super-duper Fly. - XXL Magazine


Discography

Album: When Pigs Fly (March 2011)
Singles: When Paris Smokes; Can't You See; Sh*t Got Crazy; Genocide; Insomniac Dreaming (prod by Black Milk); Can't Come Down; Getting Far (2011)
Mixtape: Power of the Tongue (2009)

Photos

Bio

The Cowboys, the Grassy Knoll, J.R. Ewing, the Stanky Leg… Dallas, Texas, is known for lots of things. Progressive, forward-thinking hip-hop has, until now, not been one of them. That’s all starting to change, thanks to A.Dd+ (spoken aye-dee-dee). The quirky yet streetwise, fun-loving yet dead serious duo of Paris Pershun (a.k.a. 24-year-old Arrias Walls) and Slim Gravy (Dionte Rembert, 24), moves easily between slang anthems (“Likeamug”), light-hearted stories about drug addiction (“Can’t Come Down”/”Erica & Jamie”), and weighty raps about father figures and Black male incarceration (“Momma’s Brother”). Their 2011 LP When Pigs Fly has earned them praise from national media outlets including XXL and Pitchfork, which described the duo as “the rapper and the poet, the spawn of UGK and OutKast, combining street and cerebral.”

The A.Dd+ story began in 2000 when Memphis-born Paris moved into the same North Dallas apartment complex as Slim. After years of rhyming together, the pair made their partnership official in 2007, dubbing themselves A.Dd+, a play on their first names, as well as attention deficit disorder, the most ubiquitous of youth behavioral problems. “A.Dd+ is whatever you want it to be,” explains Slim, who is also known as “D.D.” “It has many meanings like A Dynamic Duo, Analog and Digital, Always Doing Dirt. The plus sign symbolizes us being beyond what others are on, always adding to the craft, never subtracting. It’s all about imagination and creativity.”

In 2009, Paris and Slim dropped their debut mixtape, Power of the Tongue. The release earned them local acclaim and a “Best Rap Act” nomination from the Dallas Observer. Just as crucially, it led to their partnership with producer PICNICTYME (of Erykah Badu’s Cannabinoids crew), the group’s sonic sensei and unofficial third member.

Produced entirely by PICNICTYME, their debut LP, When Pigs Fly, took listeners on a ride through the streets of Dallas and a journey through Paris and Slim’s own offbeat imaginations. Upon its release in March of 2011, the Dallas Observer boldly proclaimed it as possibly “the best hip-hop album Dallas has ever released.” The project earned the crew three nods from the Dallas Observer Music Awards, including nominations for “Best Album,” “Best Rap Act,” and “Best Producer.” Renowned hip-hop journalist Jefferson Mao also featured the LP in his XXL “Chairman’s Choice” column, while Pitchfork Media included it in its list of Underrated Rap Releases of 2011.

“It’s overwhelming at times to be held in such high regard,” Paris says of the response to When Pigs Fly. “We approached the project as more of a mixtape with original production by Picnic, and it really took on a life of its own once it hit the public. Having it described as possibly the best rap album ever released in a city that has so much talent, is a great honor.”

Backed by their DJ Sober, (named Dallas’ Best DJ in the Dallas Observer’s “Best Of 2011?), A.Dd+ delivered “blazing opening sets” for sold-out audiences to see Wu-Tang, Erykah Badu, Big K.R.I.T. and Devin the Dude in 2011. The duo kicked off 2012 touring Texas on Red Bull’s Skooled tour with Bun B, Mannie Fresh and Paul Wall, among others. Shortly after, they embarked on their first North American tour with Black Milk (with whom they collaborated on the track “Insomniac Dreaming”) and his band Nat Turner. This Summer, they opened the sold-out Gorilla vs Bear II Festival in Dallas, TX – the only hip-hop group on the bill. The duo looks forward to continuing the 2012 festival season with performances at A3C in Atlanta, GA; CMJ in New York, NY; and FunFunFun Fest in Austin, TX.

Perhaps most encouragingly, A.Dd+’s success has come by pushing forward a sound that is thoroughly representative of Dallas, while at the same time completely different from anything that has previously been heard from the city.

“We are not ‘backpack rappers’; we are not hipsters,” Paris says, of misconceptions about the group. “Some folks take our sense of expression the wrong way ’cause we dress a certain way, or ‘cause our artwork and videos have a certain aesthetic, or ‘cause we express our thoughts over all types of canvases. Once people give our music a full listen or see us perform, that perception usually changes. We don’t make ‘fad’ music. We make music from the soul, and we kill shit.”