Album Notes

BIOGRAPHY:

Two hooded figures walk leisurely through downtown Calgary's East Side as the snow begins to accumulate on their shoulders and the last C-train of the night clatters by behind them. After ducking in and out of alleys and circling streets peppered with abandoned houses and empty lots, they finally find what they are looking for: a woman, a prostitute, hopefully the album cover that Lexington and Whatevski have been searching for night after night throughout the winter of 2008. She stands at a bus stop wearing an oversized leather jacket and pink track pants; hands stuffed in her pockets, she sways to keep the blood moving on one of the coldest nights of the year. As the two men approach, Lexington pulls his hood back and asks, "Hey, would you be down to do a photo with us? We're art students and we're doing this project. It's about music and entertainment," he explains, "it's satire. And you would be amazing in it."

She grins and starts to laugh as Whatevski passes her the cardboard sign he's been holding that reads ‘Customer Appreciation Day' and then takes a hundred dollar bill out of an envelope and hands it to her.

Although this photograph never made the final cut for their B-side release of Customer Appreciation Day on Hand'Solo Records (the one they did use is much more shocking), it is incidents like these that show Lexington and Whatevski are more than just rappers. Besides releasing four cult-classic albums since 2003 and doing countless shows and tours with artists like Swollen Members, RA the Rugged Man and Cadence Weapon, they possess utter determination in other aspects of music production as well: album art, photography and video production are all part of their daily routine. With all of these elements, they are hell-bent on shaking up the world with their remarkable ability to make art with horrible taste, but make it taste amazing.

Lexington and Whatevski have all of the attributes that are essential in top quality artists. They have unrestrained creativity, complex flows and narratives, an unforgettable live show, and a unique character and attitude that grabs the listener, forcing them into a cartoon world painted with the satire of Robert Crumb and the excess of a 1970s B-Movie. Through their ironic, tongue-in-cheek tone, the duo openly defies all conventional views of hip hop and pushes the boundaries of content in any genre. It is this backwards sensibility and sound that Lexington and Whatevski have instilled as a hip hop staple in the prairie region of Canada, and it is sure to spread. These are two very talented individuals that have a lot of fun with rap music and a ton of potential to spare.

FAZER REVIEW:

Lexington + Whatevski - Customer Appreciation Day
Shawn Alexander Roy

With tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek Lexington and Whatevski rap on Customer Appreciation Day. The predecessor to Preggers Can’t be Choosers (dropping later this year) this album features b-sides and unreleased material. Not wasting a single syllable and dealing with subjects ranging from the ironic club anthem "Dick in your Drink," society making heroes of people only after they have died in "Dead + Famous," and what a rappers life is really like in "Role Model." This album is offered as a free download and can also be bought as a hard copy version with bonus tracks and uncensored artwork. If this album is a precursor to Pregger’s Can’t Be Choosers, I can’t imagine what’s to come.