[RH Interview] ShowYouSuck is ready for all of the (neon-colored) lights
Photography by Virgil Solis
Following an endorsement from Red Bull Sound Select, a spot on the Sound Select's SXSW show, his mixtape trilogy coming to an end, and Dude Bro's release this week, the best way to summarize 2013 for the artist formerly known as the One Man Pizza Party is that he simply leveled up. With all of the pizza eaten and the boxes thrown out, ShowYouSuck is ready to put the slice back in the box and step into the neon-colored light.
Dude Bro isn't just another EP, it isn't just "the first official release following One Man Pizza Party," Dude Bro isn't even just a new beginning for ShowYouSuck. In fact, it's all of this, and more - a full frontal assault that doesn't just embody ShowYouSuck's music, but his entire existence. There was never really a boundary that separated "Clinton Sandifer" from "ShowYouSuck." Dude Bro, however, is the first step towards the delineation between the two. How and in what ways this will transpire is just as interesting as the new musical direction ShowYouSuck is following.
Read on as ShowYouSuck and I talk about the making of Dude Bro, what the EP represents for the rapper's future, and how specific clothing will define him. Make sure you also purchase Dude Bro on iTunes!
[RH Review] ShowYouSuck: "Dude Bro"
ShowYouSuck has been one of the more interesting artists in the Chicago landscape for a minute now. Since establishing himself as a witty lyricist and connoisseur of all things "rad" on his One Man Pizza Party trilogy, released throughout 2011-13, Show has carved out a niche unto himself with a character and personality to match. Dude Bro, released today, is the culmination of a long road of experimentation and progression that pulls from all sides of what makes up the complex and fun-loving LOD/Treated Crew affiliate.
Linking up with Chicago outfit Closed Sessions for his latest project, Show recorded a majority of the album under the watchful eyes of Mike Kolar at Soundscape Studios, which has become habit as of late. The continued work and personal relationship between Closed Sessions CEO Alex "RTC" Fruchter, Kolar and ShowYouSuck shows on Dude Bro, as an overall aesthetic reigns supreme in a tightly-knit, entertainingly different approach.
The lead single off the project, "80s Boobs" is wholly ShowYouSuck through and through. From the artist that brought you "Viva La Chon Chon" and "Mom Jeans" is the perfect reverie back to the days of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" as Show reminisces over the intricacies of the era's breasts, rapping: "Double D's on my sofa/Double A's in my remote/Weird Science on VHS but my goddamn VCR broke." J. Arthur of Chicago duo theWHOevers handles the duties on the beat, employing a synth-heavy backing that calls to mind the eighties perfectly to add a fitting platform from which to let Show explain the subject matter further.
Perhaps the most appropriate song ShowYouSuck has ever made is also the final track on the album, "Awesome" featuring punk rock duo Unstoppable Death Machines. Anyone who's been to a ShowYouSuck show will testify to the fact that his performances more clearly resemble a punk rock show, complete with moshpits and stage dives, so the two acts complement each other deftly. As a kid who grew up going to Metal shows in and around Chicago, Show is completely in his element, using his performance call and response "Show is so awesome-Show You Suck" as the chorus over the wild, intense backing from Mike and Billy Tucci that make up Unstoppable Death Machine.
Top to bottom, Dude Bro is fully and totally the artist that is Clinton Sandifer, ShowYouSuck. Show is a narcissistic rapper; his songs are just about things he enjoys. For a less interesting person, this could pose an issue, but for the fun-loving lyrical Jedi that he is, Show has found just the right amount of all the aspects that make up who he is and found a way to transfer that perfectly to an album. For an artist that wears his emotions on his sleeve as anyone tracking his Twitter account last night as Dude Bro dropped can attest to, this release means something, and may just be the kind of polished, well put together project with a solid backing that could once and for all vault Clinton over the proverbial wall to the big time. ShowYouSuck is on iTunes, buy Dude Bro here for only $4.99. You can also stream Dude Bro in its entirety below.
Score: 
8.5 out of 10
[RH Photos] ShowYouSuck: "Dude Bro" Album Release @ The Hideout in Chicago (11/26/13)
Photos by Virgil Solis
Last Thursday, ShowYouSuck celebrated the release of his official debut EP, Dude Bro, at The Hideout in Chicago. Featuring a new show format and new songs, the next stage for the rapper's career has finally been set. I hope you guys are a fan of polka dots, because I get the feeling you'll be seeing a lot of them in the future. For now, check out our photos from ShowYouSuck's "The Dude Bro Show" below.
Philosopha: "I'm Drugs" (feat. ShowYouSuck)
Chicago hip-hop artists Philosopha and ShowYouSuck got together for this single, "I'm Drugs" off Philosopha's Just Dope EP. ShowYouSuck handles a verse and some of the hook on this one-off. Catch ShowYouSuck tonight at The Hideout in Chicago for his Dude Bro album release celebration, "The Dude Bro Show" featuring sets from MattBoyWhite and Auggie The 9th. Click here for a chance to win tickets courtesy of RH and check out the track below.
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[RH Contest] Win a pair of tickets to ShowYouSuck's "Dude Bro" show on 11/21
ShowYouSuck's Dude Bro EP is going to be big. While most people know ShowYouSuck for his One Man Pizza Party saga, Dude Bro represents a stylistic change that still retains similar themes and styles found in the aforementioned OMPP mixtapes, but has its own unique flavor to it. In case you haven't yet, listen to Dude Bro's "80's Boobs" and "Make-Out King" to give you an idea of exactly what I'm talking about.
With Dude Bro officially releasing on iTunes next Tuesday, ShowYouSuck and 1833 Presents are having the official "Dude Bro" Show tomorrow at The Hideout. Supporting Show are our LOD brethren Auggie the 9th, Treated Crew's MattBoyWhite playing a DJ set, and local lo-fi indie band Today's Hits. We have a pair of tickets for one lucky winner to experience Dude Bro live for the very first time. To enter, simply follow us on Twitter (@rubyhornet) and tweet us your favorite ShowYouSuck song with the hashtag #RHDudeBro! We'll choose a winner at 2pm tomorrow, so make sure you get those tweets in!
The "The Dude Bro Show" is 21+, so please keep this in mind when you enter. You can also buy tickets for The Dude Bro Show if you're not feeling lucky, as well. Good luck!
ShowYouSuck: "Make-Out King" (prod. by Javelin & The Hood Internet)
The period of 2001-2005 was when I crowned myself a Make-Out King. High school Geoff made the ladies tremble in the knees and swoon at the very sight of his champion lips. In saying that, I can relate a bit to my LOD brother ShowYouSuck's latest song, "Make-Out King." Serving as the second single from his upcoming Dude Bro EP, "Make-Out King" features a remix of Javelin's "Judgement Nite" by none other than The Hood Internet.
Prior to the song's release, ShowYouSuck tweeted the song's Journey influence, and it shows not only lyrically ("We can chill and make out here in the back seat while listening to Journey"), but also musically in The Hood Internet's added guitar riffs that make "Make-Out King" sound like an anthemic, arena rock song. Of course, ShowYouSuck's penchant for slipping in pop culture references doesn't go unnoticed, especially for film fans ("...like Bogart Humphrey, that's ass backwards...").
Alongside Dude Bro's first single, "80's Boobs," "Make-Out King" forms a loose narrative that may or may not just be me overanalyzing the songs. Nevertheless, you can stream "Make-Out King" below and judge for yourselves. If you pre-order Dude Bro on iTunes, you'll also receive "Make-Out King" early as a free download. Don't forget to purchase your tickets to the Dude Bro release show on November 21st!
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ShowYouSuck: "80's Boobs" (prod. by J Arthur)
The pizza party might have ended, but the journey has just begun for Chicago rapper ShowYouSuck. Indeed, the darker themes hidden amongst the the One Man Pizza Party mixtapes have been done away with, replaced with the sunny optimism found in "80's Boobs," the first single from ShowYouSuck's upcoming EP, Dude Bro. As I alluded to with last week's "Hang 10" music video, Dude Bro follows a specific visual and musical theme, and "80's Boobs" best represents the tonal direction for Dude Bro as a whole.
Produced by theWHOevers' J Arthur, "80's Boobs" just exudes an '80s vibe with its prevalent synths and keys and Show's '80s film references. Keen listeners will pick up on a loose narrative over the song that further drives the '80s theme home. ShowYouSuck isn't a joke rapper; he's a rapper that has jokes, and much like his back catalog of songs, there's more to his lyrics than the hook. Although, to be fair, "You got boobs from an '80s movie" is way too catchy to ignore.
You can purchase "80's Boobs" from iTunes here. Keep your eyes and ears open for Dude Bro when it's also released on iTunes on November 26th. Want to know a secret? It's really, really good.
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[Video] ShowYouSuck: "Hang 10"
ShowYouSuck wants some homies to hang ten with him in his final music video drop before Dude Bro's release next month. Rapping over P. Rico's "Hang Wit Me," the rad rapper does his best Chief Keef vocal impression in "Hang 10." Directed by J. Frank, the music video features the Hometown Hero dropping pop-culture-heavy bars that he's known for, referencing everything from 1992's Ferngully to the SaveMoney Army. The neon-lit colors remind me of a certain Ryan Gosling-led film, but I can't exactly put my finger on its title; I hope only god can forgive me for forgetting.
The lighting/color scheme isn't just for aesthetic pleasure as it serves as a visual allusion to next month's Dude Bro, releasing as a paid EP through our Closed Sessions homies. ShowYouSuck will be having a release party for the aforementioned release next month with support from Auggie the 9th, MattBoyWhite, and Today's Hits on November 21st at The Hideout. You can check out the "Hang 10" video below, as well as the flyer for The Dude Bro Show.
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