In 2015, producer FredFades dropped the Fruitful EP alongside Norwegian rapper and Rap Dad favorite Ivan Ave. Aside from the rapping on this quietly satisfying EP, FredFades stands out as silent partner to Ivan Ave, providing the perfect backdrop to accommodate the rapper’s nonchalant contemplations. On the “Fruitful” remix, the two invite some like-minded friends for a relatively subdued posse cut of sorts.
Helping Hands [Album] :: Ivan Ave
I’ve raved before about the Oslo, Norway native, but Ivan Ave makes some incredible music. Bless your soul if you get the reference, but Ivan Ave comes off like a hip-hop Michael Franks, combining smooth jazz with clever wordplay and an overall mellow vibe. This project, like the previous Low Jams. Favorites on this album were the instrumental title track, “The Circle” and “Forks”.
The Circle [Video] :: Ivan Ave
Oslo, Norway native Ivan Ave has been quietly dropping some heat for a while now and I’m here for it every time. Check out his new joint “The Circle” off of the album Helping Hands, due out February 12th.
FORKS [Video] :: Ivan Ave
I’m just going to stand up and say that if you haven’t yet heard Ivan Ave’s Low Jams EP from last year, you’re missing out on something you would have every right to have missed out on due to its obscurity, but should still go listen. Ivan Ave is a Norwegian rapper whose bizarre but laid-back approach to rap is a breath of fresh Nordic air (yeah, I just typed that). “Forks” is his latest effort and I can’t wait to see what the lay of the land is on whatever project this is part of. Check the video below and note how my man kicks part of a verse embracing some woman while rapping over her shoulder. Priceless.
Low Jams [EP] :: Ivan Ave
We’re often too wrapped up in the idea of hip-hop being an American-bred culture to recognize its global reach and the appreciation others have for it abroad. I randomly stumbled across Oslo, Norway MC Ivan Ave on Soundcloud with a track called “Obedience” off of this short but effective EP, titled Low Jams, which is to be a precursor to an upcoming full length later in the year. The artist himself keeps it simple: