Independent hip hop may seem like an artefact of the late nineties in the current landscape of genre-bending commercial beatmakers and/or karaoke rap clowns of the Ja Rule disposition (Hollaaaa!). But, fear not because the next album release from Warp imprint, Lex Records, follows in the fine footsteps of 'x2' by Tes and operates in a timescape entirely of its own making.
Featuring Brooklyn emcee Jemini who released a few little-known gems under the name of The Gifted One in the mid-to-late nineties, this album will be greeted like a long-lost friend by those hip hop heads that have been left scratching their, er, heads by the music's relentless thrust into new territories. Slip on the 'phones, plug in 'Ghetto Pop Life' and it's like five years of hip hop never happened.
Jemini flows somewhere at the intersection of Brand Nubian's Sadat X and Black Moon's Buckshot whilst the beautifully crafted beats pump through the wires with the snap and bounce of any number of independent productions of the late nineties that probably featured emcees like Mike Zoot, Shabaam Sahdeeq and L Fudge. Like Diamond D's post-DITC stuff each track bumps impeccably but, unlike that strict indie template, Danger Mouse's sounds are, like those of obvious influence Prince Paul, drawn from more eccentric sources. Rock, easy-listening, string-laden Morricone-style soundtracks, the kind of heavy funk prized by David Holmes, vocal harmonies... it all finds its way into the mix.
Pharcyde collaboration 'Medieval' aside, there are few unnecessary indulgences here despite the album's 16 track total. Of the many highlights the title-track flies like the final sequence of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, 'Yoo-Hoo!' pummels the speakers with deep rumbling bass on top of which float glorious keys and harmonies and 'Bush Boys' attacks Bush's New World Order to a soundtrack of Eastern strings and cut'n'paste percussion.
So, both lyrically and sonically, 'Ghetto Pop Life' is an album brimming with ideas despite seemingly being drawn from a well-worn template. And it's one that will surely see its creators go on to greater heights if they can avoid the creditors chasing them for sample payments.
