Zion I and the Grouch - Are Heroes in the City of Dope
Zion I and the Grouch, a trio consisting of emcees Zion and Grouch, along with producer Amp Live, style themselves in their new release as heroes roaming the urban soundscape of their hometown of Oakland, Calif., or the titular City of Dope. Following the mix-and-match style of Zion I, which has always featured a blend of samples that range from dub beats to techno glitches, the new release defies strict categorization. Melodious and so tightly produced you’ll almost long for something a little more experimental and raw, “Heroes” on the whole sounds surprisingly generic. The beats are repetitive and formulaic and the lyrics often remain uninspiring. Some songs are simply mediocre. On the disappointing “Lift Me Up,” produced by Living Legend Eligh, a vocoder is employed to ridiculously poor effect during the chorus of “It’s so unusual/ Cause I feel so fly today/ It’s something beautiful/ Lifts me up I fly away.” The MTV crowd claims it’s “wound tighter than Bay Watch bathing suits…the whole thing is hot. Hot to death.” If that means anything to you, give it a listen.
Grade: 2.5 Hot Deaths out of 5
RIYL: Blackalicious, Dilated Peoples, Dan the Automator
- Ariel Kitch