Deep Puddle Dynamics

Once upon a time, before there was a label called Anticon, four like-minded MCs from different cities in the U.S. combined to record an album they wanted to be diverse while avoiding the typical hip-hop clichés. These four prophets of noise - Sole (Live Poets), Alias (Live Poets), Dose One (1200 Hobos) and Slug (Atmosphere) - forever changed the sound of hip-hop music as we know it. This was not only the stepping stone that would bring about the creation of Anticon - the label that would be formed to release DPD - but also helped to move some of the underground's most creative artists to attempt to be even more outside the norm. Call it nerdy, artsy, whatever; Anticon has become the vanguard in a new movement in hip-hop. The resulting Taste Of Rain... Why Kneel? is not the first nor necessarily the best of Anticon's releases, but it's an important album that is full of quality songs. Each MC brings their own flow, vibe and sound - which is an important element to any group - and the production is always cutting edge. The two best tracks are "The Scarecrow Speaks," which has each member breakdown their views of life in and outside of hip-hop, and "I Am Hip Hop (Move The Crowd)," where each MC tells the very real tale of a hip-hop show from different viewpoints: a thug, a performer, the thug's victim and a bystander. Welcome to the future.