Radio Boom Specialists

“The hip-hop team of Miles Franco and Reggie Paxton are a prime example of having your cake and eating it, too. Instead of skewing jazzy and old school or synth-heavy and slick, Franco and Paxton gracefully straddle the divide between pop-friendly and experimental rap music, and the resulting sound, particularly on this year’s full-length effort All-In, fee ls like the hip-hop equivalent of Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters in its accessible fusion of styles. While Franco handles the beats, the duo works collaboratively on songwriting and vocals, with a willingness to move deftly from singing and rapping that should make Kanye West envious. As their songs frequently remind you: eat your Gritz. They will be good for you.”
Kyle Petersen - Free Times

“Gritz — Gritz splits the difference between alternative rap’s higher-profile names and hip-hop’s outer-space outliers, not reaching as far toward the mainstream as Kanye West or Beastie Boys (or even, say, Kid Cudi or Lupe Fiasco) but not skewing as far to the sonically abstract left as producers du jour like Clams Casino or SpaceGhostPurrp, opting for a versatile sound that blends both approaches. Indeed, Gritz would seem right at home with the Def Jux crew (i.e., El-P, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock) with its mixture of jazzy beats and off-kilter verses. The duo releases its newest joint, All-In, tonight. P. Wall Bey’s: 9:30 p.m., $5 ($7 under 21); facebook.com/beysfivepoints.”
Patrick Wall - Free-Times

“Electronic hip-hop duo Gritz is a litte unpredictable, fleshing out Miles Franco and Reggie Paxton's rhymes with elements of R&B, acid jazz, trip-hop, and dubstep, their backing beds awash in seasick swells and tricky beats that push and pull against the rhythms. The duo's recently released 'Euphoric Psychotic' is thus aptly named, balancing a sense of mania and an off-the-rails, hallucinogenic streak; if The Roots had studied under DJ Shadow and released records on Anticon, the result might sound something like Gritz.”
Patrick Wall - Free Times

“Is Gritz' abstract rap Euphoric? Yes. Pyschotic? Well, in a good way.”
Patrick Wall - Free Times - Free Times

“Jospec Flowflex — “No wonder we be underground,” Jospec Flowflex, half of local hip-hop duo Independent’s Finest, raps on the hook of “Thrill the Musical,” the centerpiece of his new solo EP, What is Black?. Indeed, Flowflex’s flow — smooth and erudite — and beats — jazzy and funky, provided by Gritz’ Miles Franco — are indebted to hip-hop’s thoughtful underground, taking inspiration from old-school groups like A Tribe Called Quest and the criminally underrated Hieroglyphics and new-school ensembles like the Black Hippy collective. Flowflex’s retro-futurist hip-hop is underground in this town, for now, but might not be for very long. With Parrelli Blu. P. Wall” - Patrick Wall - Free Times (Columbia, SC)

Under the Radar | Gritz at Concocktions, Friday Aug. 23

Jazzy live ensemble makes abstract-leaning local hip-hop duo a must-see.
By Patrick Wall

Friday, August 23, 2013 - In a live context, hip-hop can sometimes be a static experience, with pre-recorded beats often lacking the ebb and flow of a full live band, or even a disk jockey. But a live Gritz show often employs a full musical ensemble — a live guitarist (in this case, two) and drummer to provide some meat to Gritz’s often skeletal beats. The instrumentation often adds a smooth, jazzy element to Gritz’s experimental-leaning hip-hop, more Shabazz Palaces than Kanye West. It’s not always pitch-perfect, but it adds a dose of organic energy, and therein lies the excitement. With Jospec Flowflex, Free Radio. - Free Times