If you think hip-hop is a stale or creatively stagnant genre, or that it's somehow less artistically vibrant and rich than rock or pop, you need to hear this thing. This is a low-key marvel, a terrific record that breaks out of hip-hop structures and instead employs ethnic music forms, swirling psychedelia, acid jazz guitars, soulful horns, and a weird, druggy haze to create a spooky and addictive sound that's unlike anything else out there. It's terrific. And so is the rapping-- Mos Def nonchalantly moves from casual boasting to poetic philosophizing about life and love and war and art.
It sounds like the work of true inspiration-- or at least some wonderful kind of madness. This is addictive and artful hip-hop at its finest. And I'm not alone in thinking that-- just yesterday morning, it was Best New Musiced by our friends at Pitchfork. (BTW, this is easily my favorite album to have been Best New Musiced by P4k this year-- but I'm sure that's just me.)
My review is here:
http://tinyurl.com/lmzp2a
