Northern Roots
Da Grass Roots
-Living Underwater
1996(?) Black Employed Records
One of the beautiful things about this time, and hip-hop in general, can be stated in a very simple and very familiar way: It ain't where ya from it's where ya at. Besides the fools (read: media) who fell for the whole East Coast vs. West Coast nonsense and a handful of Bronx-based "purists," this has been a truism for hip-hop fans from the jump. Case in point, Da Grass Roots from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The raw, organic jazzy sound was more popular down in Philly at the time, but these guys pull it off nicely with a solid combo of programmed and breakbeat drums, thick basslines, and ultra-vibey keys. It's an all-too-rare example of hip-hop music that's smooth and mellow enough to just have on in the background when you're on lounge mode, but funky enough to toss into the mix as well. Fat noise.
2 Comments:
"Drama" is a fantastic song. My friend from Toronto introduced me to this single several years back and I was fortunate to find a copy for myself a little while after. You have chosen a very nice selection of fine indie/underground Hip-Hop joints for your audioblog. Keep up the excellent work and I look forward to checking out your future updates.
The kind words are much appreciated, though of course most of the credit goes to the music, not the music selecta. And not to worry, I've got gobs of good vinyl just waiting to find its way up here.
Post a Comment
<< Home