Good thing the iPod does video too
...and it's about time. If you're in the Northwest, then you're free to go on this one; if you're over here on the East Coast or in the southern part of the Left Coast, then listen up. Quannum Projects has long been the purveyor of quality hip-hop products (and more recently, quality products in all genres), but there's a lurking all-star in their catalog: The Lifesavas.
The Lifesavas (comprised of emcees Jumbo the Garbageman, Vursatyl and DJ Rev. Shines) are longtime robot favorites, and hail from Portland OR, where they were discovered during an in-store performance by Chief Xcel (Blackalicious' producer/DJ/Quannum honcho). Jumbo produces the lionshare of the material, with both Vursatyl and Jumbo crafting lyrics and Rev. Shines providing all the live beats. They're insane talents (check the lyrics, check Vursatyl's singing voice, listen to the incredible horns on this track), super-nice guys (I had a chance to chat them up before a rather sparsely attended Burlington VT show), and they kill live, to the point where they damn near steal the show from the other acts on the bill (and in cases where they ain't headlining). Rappers, emcees, producers to the core, but more importantly, hip-hop artists and entertainment professionals - they really know how to work a crowd in a genuine and uplifting way.
This track is the title track from their upcoming (April 24th!) sophomore LP, Gutterfly. The album itself is a cohesive and tremendous story telling effort, inspired by an unfinished Blaxploitation film by Brooklynite Baraka Feldman in the 80's, who brought the tale to the Lifesavas much later on in Portland. To let their music wander into subjects they'd yet to explore musically, the Lifesavas created a trio of ghetto superheroes: Bumpy Johnson (Vursatyl), Sleepy Floyd (Jumo) and Jimmy Slimwater (DJ Rev. Shines), who are trying to escape from the fictional metropolis of Razorblade City. Personally, I dig hip-hop concept albums (Bobby Digital, Deltron, Dr. Octagon, Speakerboxxx, etc), and this was a welcome addition to the library.
The whole CD bumps hard. This track is a crash course in reminding you what the Lifesavas are all about - the art of storytelling through rhyme, prime beats, and a level of quality that's hard to find in the rapidly expanding swamp of mediocrity that is indie hip-hop. They've consistently delivered the goods for me personally - I hope y'all enjoy this track and the upcoming release as much as I do. As always, the real treat is their live show, so go catch 'em live, with DJ Shadow performing alongside them as a bonus!