The Stop

"I spit that uptown-body-rock-rolley-hop, and will a nigga ever shut me down? prolly not. Cause ever since I was a young lad I crushed emcees, kickin' ass takin' names at the trolley stop."

- Jay Electronica

Sunday, September 14, 2008

"So watch how these Outbox kids, out box kids"

Doing the math (by adding up the total plays from each song) I have played While You Were Sleeping 726 times already in the past month alone, and Entry Level/Elements 1584 times. Judging by the statistics you can tell that I'm a hardcore Canto I fan. I sincerely believe that these guys are going to be the next best thing, and they're blowing up pretty fast. I can still remember the first time I ever heard them, which was around spring of 2007. They automatically jumped out at me. In my opinion Effect and Joe Fury are bringing back real hip hop. If you look up hip hop in the dictionary, their picture along with the lyrics to "Sidewalk Cypher" should be next to the definition.

Lyrically they destroy every track I've heard them on. Their lyrics aren't the usual lyrics, but of actual experiences and opinions/ideas such as work, relationships, etc. In the interview I was privileged enough to conduct with this duo, Joe Fury explains: "To be brutally honest with you I write about things that I have kept bottled up from everyone for a really long time and the only way to get those things off my chest is to tell the music. Like things about love, or not being in love, a beautiful day, school, having to get up early as fuck to go to work, shit like that. I write about everyday events that affect me directly." I guess you could consider them "conscious hip hop" but I'm not one for labeling. In my opinion, Canto I are up there with Lupe, and Jay Elec lyrically. Beat wise, Jape, Galley, Steez, and Chad Lee, produce some bangin beat for these cats to "talk to". Big ups to Outbox for making such amazing music!

Overall, I can see Canto I becoming one of the hip hop giants in the future on the underground scene, and maybe even the main stream scene, as long as they keep pumping out meaningful music that people can relate to. Now go out and cop their albums, they really deserve the support.

No comments: