Viceverses

When the title of your sophomore album is Native Blood, it wouldn't be unusual to assume there should be some found between rappers Pro Chill, Citizen Spaid and the Muster. Especially when songs like "Native Blood" and "Congo Square" incorporate, respectively, the singing and drumming of the pow-wow, and many of the lyrics are about genocides and injustices perpetrated against indigenous people, African-Americans and other minorities and disenfranchised groups, as well as the connection between all people and a proper respect for Mother Earth. Heck, the chorus for opening track "One Drop" even states, "Every time I hear the crack of a whip, my native blood drips." And despite appearances, one of them must be "the Afro-Irish Cherokee." But it surely doesn't matter whom, as these guys also rap on "One Drop": "All things are connected like the blood that unites us all." While the trio's message can sometimes be a little harsh, they have pretty good flows, a few witty lines and the Muster's in-house production is extremely minimal, but well-suited to the three MCs. His use of native music plays to the title, but he also wins with simple productions like the bass, cymbals and sighing that makes up "Voice Boxing" or the addition of harmonica and Asian folk music to an already dope beat on "Walnuts." And "Catharsis" proves they can still work within the usual parameters of hip-hop. Regardless of the make-up of the group, Native Blood is a breath of fresh air compared to much of the rest of what's happening in hip-hop right now.