Dead Prez -
Let's Get Free
mankycaaant sent me this album, and I think it was a wise choice. There aren't many Hip Hop acts that have passed me by without at least one single play on my last.fm, but he managed to find one for me.
I have heard of this group, and I even have this album bookmarked for a future listen, so it was nice to finally get around to it. And I wasn't disappointed.
Firstly, the production on this album is incredibly gritty, pretty much from start to finish, and that suits the personality of the tracks, which are some of the most politically/racially/socially aware I have ever heard.
Perhaps the stand out track,
"Hip Hop" starts with great lazy bass line, that repeats throughout the song, with an off beat drum keeping your head banging. What I like about this song is that it is not only a song about "Hip Hop", but how what they are trying to do is "bigger than Hip Hop", a concept that not many discuss.
The song directly after is perhaps the other highlight,
"Police State". It starts with what seems like a preacher discussing how we are governed by the state, which is a great introduction to the song. It is a politically charged affair that forces you to listen to what they are talking about.
Probably the one issue I have with this album/group is their constant association with white males and oppression. Now, I am not going to be foolish enough to say there is no reason why white males have questions to be answered, but I sense there is some genuine dislike for white people at times, which I didn't expect.
They remind me of
Public Enemy in terms of the topics they discuss, which often lean quite heavily on being "pro-black", which isn't a subject I can totally relate to, but one I can respect, especially the way these guys come across.
Either way, really liked the album. Cheers for the pick
mankycaaant 