Hip-Hop

Rusty Ps
Milwaukee, WI
Label - None

DJ Madhatter, S Watson, Phantom Channel and Count Classic make up Milwaukee based Hip-Hip crew, Rusty Ps. No that wasn’t a typo. Folks I’ve found what could very well be the lost sound of great Hip-Hop from the 80’s and 90’s..in the Midwest no less! So take A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, some De La Soul and the discipline of Eric B. & Rakim and you have The Ps. Formerly ‘The Rusty Pelicans’, Rusty Ps churn out their own style of jazz drizzled and funk infused Hip-Hop that true aficionados to haters can respect. Check out my personal favorite ‘Tread Water’ ftr Imani from The Pharcyde for a well representative cut from self produced ‘Rusty Ps vs. Milwaukee’ (2005). But the whole damn album is worth the download! Most memorable for me were ‘The Return’ and ‘Gather Around’. Do yourself a h-u-g-e favor and give these cats a listen!

Check out their vid at Fierce.com, ‘Elevatin The Game’ showing some respect to The Bucks!

Fatal Lucciauno
Label - Sportin Life Records

I just finished a 4 hour flight which gave me plenty of quality time to dive into Seattle battle rapper Fatal Lucciauno. Born Rahmeece Chevosier Howell to respected Jazz and Gospel singer Josephine Howell, Fatal is pure street. His intelligent, hard-hitting preach is an emotional weave of the life he’s lead since a boy growing up on the streets of Chicago and Seattle. To be true, I don’t write nearly enough Rap/Hip-Hop reviews; I know the talent exists. It’s just not as apparent and often gets lost in the mainstream. That’s why I was more than pleasantly surprised when I launched into Fatal’s freshman CD ‘The Only Forgotten Son’ (2007 Sportin Life Records). Each track is wicked hard and laced with ghoulish lyrics and chill instrumentals. Pay particular mind to ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’, ‘Focus’ and ‘Won’t Change’, my 3 fav cuts. There are a few tracks that didn’t strike a note but all around Fatal Lucciauno will round out any discerning Rap aficionado’s collection. I picked up all 20 tracks at iTunes but you can also pick it up directly at Sportin Life Records.

Infinito 2017
Chicago, IL
Label - Nephew of Frank Records

Infinito 2017 is one deep brother. An accomplished solo artists in his own right, in the following cuts he teams with another fav of mine, Unagi, to produce A Day That Dont End and Use Your Mind Right. Also check out his solo Inner Journey Back from his 2007 cut ‘Nephew of Frank’. Waiting for direction from 2017 on his latest album pictured above ‘This is a Day Unlike Others’produced by Cool D and cover design by Yes Lioness. There’s serious talent at work here. A grassroots journey in preach, poetics and soul, make this guy a definite add to your emerging talent collection.

Blue Scholars
Seattle, Wa
Label - Massline

Emcee Geologic and Sabzi form the poetic duo Blue Scholars comin’ straight out of the Northwest with beats and blends sure to mesmerize. My intro to these cats was the chill-soulful gospel of ‘Joe Metro’ off their 2007 album ‘Bayani’. There are so many genres at work with their music. Classical, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Rap, Soul, Spiritual, Poetics. Very unusual but positively refreshing. I’m a huge discerning fan of Hip-Hop. I tend to lean towards those artists exhibiting the strengths and poetics of groups like Eric B & Rakim, The Pharcyde, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest to name a few. There is so much crap being digested in mainstream music today. I’m certain whats being labeled Hip-Hop or Rap needs recategorization since whats being fed to us via MTV and VH1 its an insult to the genre and the artists who clearly represent. I’m happy to say Blue Scholars have it down. A grounded duo with an understanding of Hip-Hop’s roots blended with a strong individuality. I just filled my iPod with ‘Bayani’ which should make my trip home tonight that much more enjoyable.