Katie Ladubz is an East Coast rapper making waves in sunny California. The San Diego transplant has hooked up the Cult Muzic crew for her first foray into widespread distribution. Cult Muzic Media is an independent record/media company devoted to releasing underground music from all genres. Regular readers of The Static Dive have heard the name before. They have been responsible for a sizable catalog of releases over the past few years from artists like J Andrew, San Diablo Allstars, Diastro and the boss himself, Black Hesher.
“Moves to Make” is the debut album from Katie Ladubz, released worldwide to all major streaming services on February 12, 2021. The 16 song collection may be the artist’s first outing but its obvious that the emcee is no new kid on the block. Katie has clearly been at her game for a long time, technique and flow like hers comes from years of grinding. The rapper has a cool rapid-fire delivery that she bounces off some low down and funky old-school grooves on the new record.
From the opening title track, Katie Ladubz lays down the foundation. As the record’s name suggests, she’s done messing around. The album is a chronicle of past hard times and declaration of a newfound dedication and energy to get it done. Whether she’s tossing old girlfriends to the curb (“Moves to Make,” “Relentless”) or looking out to the crowd and declaring her own badassness (“She Bitch”), Katie leaves no question as to her skills and determination.
Musically the record is a cool mix of Hip-hop breakbeats, downtempo grooves and a touch of Grunge. There’s a real 90’s Trip-Hop vibe on a number of tracks. “Devil in My Mind” feels like Portishead with attitude while tracks like “Letterman” dig deep into a cool psychedelic mood. The spectre of past drug use haunts many of these tracks. Throughout the record Katie pairs trippy vibes with memories of darker times. “Vampires” is a musically and lyrically complex recap of the life of an addict. However, on tracks like “Ostracized” she sets it straight that mind is now clear, “Not on drugs, I’m a slave to no master.”
There’s a healthy dose of Rock & Roll on “Moves to Make.” Someone is playing some sick bass guitar all over the album. And tunes like “Do it” and “Revolution” are built around fat and dirty Rock grooves. The latter sounds like some long lost collaboration between Trent Reznor and Rage Against The Machine. Meanwhile Kaite Ladubz accurately raps about her own kickass skills, “I’m Rock & Roll with a Hip-Hop fusion.”
Elsewhere on the record she kicks it straight Hip-hop style. “Whoa Whoa” is killer, with Katie tearing up the mic without stopping to take a breath. She also let’s a few guest rappers in the mix. “Flow” is an excellent old-school freestyle ensemble track complete with a Beastie Boys sample and expert bars from Black Hesher and ILLtemper.
“Moves to Make ” is a fantastic debut from a talented new name in Hip-Hop. Katie Ladubz brings her East Coast attitude and drive to some cool West Coast grooves on a record that is sure to hit the mark for true Hip-hop fans on all coasts. Listen to the record below. You can also hear “Whoa Whoa” on the Deep Indie Beat playlist and “Devil in My Head” on the Deep Indie Dive. Follow the links below to connect with Katie Ladubz and the Cult Muzic crew. Stay in the loop on all of the great music to come from this exciting young talent.
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