When Ivan Ives' East Meets West tour hits the 9:30 club's stage Wednesday, one thing should become immediately obvious - Ives knows how to flow. His staccato, nuanced delivery draws the listener into his music and shows just how hard he has worked.
A prolific emcee with many EPs under his belt, calling him an "underground" rapper would not do justice to his polished, second full-length release, "Iconoclast" - a breath of much-needed fresh air in the rap scene. Released on his label, No Threshold Records, it boasts 15 tracks and guest appearances from renowned rappers such as Cappadonna, 2Mex, Vast Aire and O.C.
"The first album I ever got was Snoop Dogg's 'Doggystyle,'" Ives said. "But afterwards I started listening to more East Coast rap: Biggie, Wu-Tang, all the D.I.T.C. [Diggin' in the Crates] cats. Big L is one of my favorite rappers of all time; I look up to him and aspire to be as good as he was."
The beats created by Ives' longtime producer Fresh, or The Hitman, are innovative. They have an old-school feel, with soul samples and superb scratching throughout. It sounds nothing like the synthetic and often simplistic sound on so many other releases.
"Most mainstream hip-hop nowadays is trash," Ives said. "I remember back when mainstream hip-hop was actually good, although that was mostly golden era hip-hop stuff. I'm trying to bring back a fusion of the golden era sound with more modern influences."
Ives' Russian heritage also adds an innovative quality to the mix. He raps in Russian on several tracks, showcasing his skill in both languages.
"I have fun with it," Ives said. "I'm obviously by no means an 'ethnic' artist. Honestly, I do feel that my background and my father's struggle against the KGB with his art have influenced my music and the direction I am ultimately heading in, and it definitely does set me apart from other emcees."
While Ives clearly has the lyrical chops, it is apparent he has no interest in showing off by pontificating on politics or esoteric topics. Although his songs are peppered with quirky references - on "Carpe Diem" he pokes fun at the stereotype that Russians are good at Tetris and chess and affirms his skill in both. Ives clearly has a lot of cheeky cleverness to go around, but don't mistake him for a nerdcore rapper.
"There are a lot of underground emcees that have some interesting stuff to say, but unfortunately they can't flow and so no one will care about it," Ives said. "If you don't have your presentation down, it doesn't matter what you're trying to say. If you listen closely to my music, I have a lot to say about society and the struggle for survival; however, I embed my messages into more accessible formats and more catchy flows."
Commenting on the indie rap scene, he said, "It's getting way too artsy. Too many kids that lack real-life experiences making up fantasy worlds filled with stories of fake struggling and fabricated tales of redemption."
Many of the tracks on "Iconoclast" feature the hallmarks of hip-hop - braggadocio and claims of one's awesome skills. When he waxes on about his lyrical superiority, however, it's always done in a smart, pun-filled way, and any arrogance is tempered with humility. "I got wicked game / Call me Chris Isaac" he raps on "Lay Low." On "Mad Game," he spurts, "I build a legacy founded on leprosy / An outcast, outlasted everyone next to me / Bitter wrath for most rap critics / I rap for cynics and real heads still in it."
"Iconoclast" is the narrative of a workaholic. The album reads like the diary of an underground rapper trying to make his name known. Devoid of the vapid, cotton-candy stylings, it is also refreshingly free of pontification. Love him or hate him, Ives is one hard-working emcee.
