Sweatshop Union

They may have lost a founding member in MC Kyprios, but Vancouver, BC-based rap collective Sweatshop Union aren't suffering from being down a man. The Union have spent a decade building a reputation for insightful, thoughtful lyrics. On their latest offering, The Bill Murray EP, they have no problem living up to that reputation. They manage to take a wide range of heavy subjects and turn them into hot, lyrical, head nodding tunes. On "Nuclear Family," they tackle both the joys and fears of unexpected fatherhood, while "Bring Back the Music" has them calling out so-called "music" television stations that mostly air reality TV. Production-wise, Bill Murray is an impressive album. Sweatshop are good when spitting over heavy, funky beats ("Makeshift Kingdom" and "Bill Murray"), but even better when rhyming over more ethereal sounds ("Sunburn" and "John Lennon"). Many groups have trouble recovering from the loss of a member, but if The Bill Murray EP is any indication, Sweatshop Union will be just fine.