Rap

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.