Zion I "True and Living"

    One of my problems with looking for new music is that I can tend to be a little short sighted.  I’m always looking for the artist/album that pushes the boundaries of hip-hop, music that challenges the listener in their notion of what defines this musical niche.  To that end sometimes I miss out on great albums simply because they “throw back” to a time period without adding anything novel and thus do not garner my immediate interest.  This is a sin I need to stop committing since I miss a lot of valuable and well done albums this way.

    Such was the problem I had with Zion I’s latest CD “True and Living”.  I was first exposed to Zion I with some cuts off their album “Mind Over Matter” and was blown away the quality of the music.  Here was a group that was utilizing drum and bass elements in hip-hop which is something I had never heard before and immediately appealed to the electronic junkie in me.  What was awesome though is that Zion’s breezy cadence perfectly counteracted the speed of the instrumentals.  Not to get too philosophical over it, but it felt as if the songs were a musical modeling of our life experiences.  Chaos and uncertainty are all around us but we can find peace and harmony with in ourselves.  I loved it.  So I snatched up their second album “Deep Water Slang”.  It was a good offering but I still wasn’t feeling it as strongly as the first joints I heard.

    Well when “True and Living” was announced I of course pre-ordered it the second it was available.  I really enjoyed the album overall but it just didn’t grab me like I had wanted, no drum and bass at all!  So it got shuttled away for other things.  That was until I bought the “Backpack Thugs Megamix” reviewed below.  One of my favorite songs on that mix utilizes the instrumentals from “Bird’s Eye View” off of “True and Living”.  I decided to toss back in “True and Living” and give it another listen.  I hate to say it but I fuckin’ slept on this album, it is a great CD.

    It may sound like I’m going to extol the virtues of mediocrity but don’t get it twisted, I really like this album.  What you’ll find is that this album doesn’t push production limits like the albums “Blazing Arrow”, “Float”, or “Fantastic Damage”.  The rhymes aren’t challenging like what you’ll find in “Beauty and the Beat”.  And you won’t want to riot in the streets like I did after listening to the song “Paint by Numbers”.  What you will find is an amazingly solid and consistent album.  Zion’s rhymes are clean and well stated and exhibit a vibrant thought process.  Amp Live’s beats are sharp with a nice variety of different elements: horn blasts, scratches, piano loops, and even a grinding blues guitar are all featured through out the album.  Background vocals are also well placed and do not distract from the rest of the song.  Although the album does not feature an expansive soundscape, Zion and Amp are able to put together enough different sounds to maintain the listener’s rapt attention.  This is not an album that will define a time period of hip-hop but it does have a timeless quality to it.  Years down the line you can throw this CD back in the player and love every thumping beat.

Prime Cuts:
-Doin’ My Thang: This is a great relaxing song with beautiful horns and scratches.
-Bird’s Eye View:  Probably one of the most beautiful instrumentals ever used in a hip hop song.  The song chronicles the love affair between a boy and his music.
- Poems 4 Post Modern Decay: Features Aesop Rock, like I need another reason to like the song.
-What You Hear: Features Del, like I need another reason to like the song .
-Oh Lawd Blues: Great use of the blues guitar.  Song sounds like it should be sung by a gospel choir.

Albums I can’t stop listening to (artist then album title):
1)  Theivery Corporation: “Richest Man in Babylon”
2)  El-P: “We’re All Going to Burn in Hell Megamix”
3)  Prefuse 73: “Extinguished”

Songs that I’m going to rot in the fiery pits of hell for liking (artist then song title):
1)  The Boss Hog Barbarians: “The Weight Debate” and “Hog Luv”
2)  The Bitchwhippaz: “Panty Raid”

Albums that are the reason why people hate electronic music:
1)  Squarepusher: “Ultravisitor”  This album is one of the most horrific pieces of crap I have ever experienced.  Let us never speak it’s name again.