This weekend, local hip-hop collective Innate Sounds Crew is celebrating its first anniversary with two CD-release parties, at the Jackpot tonight and the Brick on Saturday.
Largely the brainchild of local scene visionary Miles Bonny, Innate comprises local rappers, DJs, hip-hop producers, graphic designers, musicians and the like. This weekend, the crew is releasing Alpha, a compilation CD of smooth underground hip-hop featuring scores of locals such as CES Cru, Deep Thinkers, Stik Figa, Smoov Confusion, Beatbroker, Reggie B and more -- many of whom will be performing at this weekend's parties.
Download/stream a sampler for Alpha via ZShare, and preview two of the new tracks after the jump.
Innate Sounds Crew: "Gotta Get Thru”
Raps: Brother of Moses
Sings: Reggie B
Beats: Leonard Dstroy
Over a slow-bump beat embellished by vocoder-ish synth and Atari-like squiggles, BroMo of Deep Thinkers explores the need to face the hardships and phonies and get out there and do what needs to be done. Reggie B's layered, R&B vocals provide a catchy, yearning hook that echoes the melancholic-yet-determined nature of the subject matter. A great song to listen to first thing in the morning -- or if you're the literary type, an exemplary aubade.
Innate Sounds Crew: "The Anthem”
Raps: Stik Figa, Smoov Confusion, Ubiquitous, Godemis, Brother of Moses
Cuts: Leonard Dstroy
Beats: Miles Bonny
That bass riff! Few producers around attempt the kind of cascading, jazzy melodic basslines that Bonny squeezes onto tracks like frosting onto cake. The bass and the string-section/big-band samples are reminiscent of a SoundsGood beat, but the aggressive scratchwork from Lenny D, particularly at the beginning, sets the stage for an energetic call to arms. The mob answers, with the five KC rappers exchanging nimble verses over the ensuing six minutes while select vocals ("Midwest!" "And it don't stop!") reverberate in the air above. Cinematic.
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