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As he does every few months, my man Laks has once again rounded up the work of some of the best indie rappers and producers out there on the internet and compiled it into the latest entry for his Emcees and Producers to Watch series of mixtapes. This time around, a few overseas artists have been included in the mix along with representatives from all over the U.S. Though there are a couple of songs that fall flat, the majority of the nineteen tracks on here should keep your head nodding along at a fairly steady pace. If you're looking for a break from the over-polished hip pop that's been saturating the mainstream lately, Laks' latest tape is well worth a listen.
Download Emcees and Producers to Watch - From the States to Overseas (Rapidshare link)
There's one track in particular on the tape that I wanted to highlight. The song, Table Has Turned, comes from an artist named Cleo representing the mean streets of Stockholm. The fact that it features a pregnant female rapper, and a surprisingly good one at that, out of Sweden would be unusual enough, but throw in some Swedish Reggae vocals from Syster Sol and the result is a cultural mishmash that has caused me to reevaluate my expectations for Scandinavian music. Sure, Adam Tensta - the teetotalling, straight edged rapper who also hails from the nation's capitol - has been putting out a steady stream of competent hip hop for the past couple of years, and Kissey Asplund continues to be one of the most underrated singers on any continent, but I had always assumed they were something of an oddity over in the land of Nobel Peace. Perhaps there's more to the Nordic hip hop movement than one might expect.
Cleo featuring Syster Sol - Table Has Turned (produced by King Al)
To go along with that, here is a video (with visuals that seem to have been inspired by The Ring) Cleo put out with Syster Sol last year, Witness the Empress. If M.I.A., Lady Sov and Jean Grae got together to record 90's era reggae/rap fusion it might sound a lot like this:
Cleo featuring Syster Sol and Allyawan - Witness the Empress
Finally, here's a video of Syster Sol in a live performance of one of her reggae songs. "Surreal" is perhaps the best way to describe the sight and sound of a blond Scandinavian girl singing over a traditional reggae beat in Swedish patois. Peep:
Syster Sol - Kalmar
Further Listening:
The Emcees and Producers to Watch website
Cleo on Myspace
Syster Sol on Myspace
King Al on Myspace
8/18/2009 4:00:51 PM posted by Fresh