by John Bear
Daily Lobo
The Procussions march to the beat of a different drum.
But every rapper, producer, DJ - whoever - has echoed this exact sentiment from the beginning of time, no matter how derivative and unoriginal they come across.
Having said that, the Procussions run the gamut with their latest release, 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents, producing everything from straight-up experimental instrumentals to hideously standardized jazz-infused hip-hop beats. And it works - usually.
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The three man hip-hop group, originally from Colorado Springs and now residing in Los Angeles, believes that percussion is the most important aspect of hip-hop music.
Actually, drums are the backbone of all popular music, but I guess having a good drum beat is essential when attempting to rock a microphone. MC and sole producer Stro the 89th Key apparently utilizes real drums to craft his beats - though I swear I hear a lot of drum-machine clapping on some of the tracks.
When Stro is allowed to get crazy with the instrumentals, he produces the undisputed high point of the album. "Mars," the final track, comes across like a Jimi Hendrix song with less guitar skills but equipped with an MPC drum machine to make up for things. The song is definitely head-bang inducing and veers several times into wild, clunky bridges - this song is worth the price of the album, a measly $13. Thanks, Rawkus. Yes, Rawkus Records, long thought dead, has seemingly returned from the grave.
"Rain Dance" also showcases Stro's penchant for the experimental. A fast, almost punk rock drum beat dances with a nasally pitched synthesizer and MC J yells over it in his little-too-close-to-Zach de la Rocha voice.
The rest of the album is a little predictable. We all know that the Rhodes electric piano is slick, but it has been used a little too much. Find a new instrument.
That being said, even when the group uses clichÇ beats, it is still pretty good. Talib Kweli shows up to prove that no cameo appearance is too good for him, even if it is on a lackluster song.
The three MCs possess excellent vocal cohesion, an asset that is more apparent with a live performance. In fact, this is a group that is much better to see live. The CD fails to do it justice.
