Talib Kweli
Gutter Rainbows
The days of pure artistry may in fact be more numbered than the staying power of The Invisible Hand theory. Art for it’s own sake is a theoretical beauty but in practice it is one ugly bird. Ask any veteran songwriter, producer or lyricist who still puts quality and message first in their craft what it’s like to sell entertainment with integrity and they will kindly kill you softly with a “don’t be mad but UPS ain’t hiring either…”
| Feb | 01 |
Emerging from a time when West Coast rap went into deep hibernation, Strong Arm Steady has worked over the past seven years to help California not only reclaim its rightful title as the hip-hop capital of the world, but also to redefine its signature sound. Krondon, Phil Da Agony, and Mitchy Slick, all witnesses to the rise and fall of Death Row, seek to breathe new life into the West Coast rap movement, infusing their creativity, open-mindedness, and musical prowess into the medium and refusing to fall prey to the unfortunate, ubiquitous “gangsta” stereotypes that have come to characterize the scene. With two albums due out this year–the Madlib-produced In Search of Stoney Jackson and the decidedly more streamlined Arms & Hammers–Strong Arm Steady is set to remind music listeners that SoCal is just as musically vibrant as it was during the pre-Schwarzenegger days.
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