Crown City Rockers - Earthtones
MusicMash Rating: not rated yet
Pitchfork Media Rating: 7.7
Despite electroclash and The Darkness, some musical trends are actually worth perpetuating. Take live
hip-hop, for example. Though no group has stepped into mainstream success like The Roots, several smaller
acts across the country-- S.F.'s Variable Unit, the Twin Cities' Heiruspecs, the Breakestra out of L.A.--
have actually brought new elements to the form and elevated its standards. But they're the exception: Truth
is, most rhythm sections lack the heavyweight punch to contend with an 808's bionic beats, and jammy
arrangements can give too much slack to hip-hop's streamlined urgency. Without inspired songcraft and a
novel approach, even the best MC will get swept out to a sea of watered-down funk.
With their second LP, Oakland's Crown City Rockers bring a surprisingly fresh, well-rounded sound that
reiterates just how good live hip-hop can be when done right. Without copping a single note, they give a nod
to The Roots' Do You Want More?!!!??! days, easily tempering organic, jazzy dynamics with concrete
beats and streetwise production. Rather than taking the classic Illadelph bebop approach,
Earthtones looks to the mid-70s soul-jazz of Donald Byrd and Lonnie Liston Smith for inspiration.
Most prominent are the textured keyboards of Kat Ouano, applied equally with ballsy aggression for a banging
club feel ("Fortitude") and deft understatement for smoother meditations ("Fate", "No Sense"). By balancing keys,
bass, drums, and dense, MPC-generated breaks, producers Headnotic and Woodstock arrive at a flawless balance
of instrumental spontaneity and programmed precision.
But the real star here is MC Rashaan Ahmad. In the few years that Crown City Rockers have existed, they've
undergone a name change, lost a key member, and released an underdeveloped debut album. Ahmad has clearly
evolved with the band, working through adversity, sharpening his skills, and shaping his on-the-mike persona.
With Earthtones he emerges as one of the West Coast's premiere MCs, his flow effortless and vocabulary
expansive. He brings an everyman context to his rhymes, making the mundane dramatic with a subtle righteousness
and around-the-way likability. He comes downright heroic on "Another Day", the album's first single, rapping,
"Rhyme writing, pressure's on/ I wanna move to the desert, play guitar songs/ Wanna move away from the city,
crime and fear/ But I know the world needs me here." "Heat" lives up to its name, Ahmad's scathing delivery
hammering over a heavy breakbeat workout and...
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