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Sleeping
on talent cannot be allowed much longer without being
categorized as a sucker…or sucka. So, if you’ve slept on the
lyrical mayhem, thumping beats and melodic undertones of
Vancouver, B.C.’s Swollen Members, you are officially slippin’.
With their latest release, Monsters In The Closet,
Swollen Members drop a montage of unheard bangers and
b-sides…and if you say you rep Hip-Hop, you need to check for
Swollen…this is not an opinion – more like a public service
announcement.
Monsters In
The Closet is by no means a ‘new’ album, although it is a new
release. The crew consisting of Madchild, Rob The Viking,
Prevail and Moka Only light up the Canadian Hip Hop scene with
originality and true representation from block to block…for
those willing to be enlightened. On the inscription in the
CD’s booklet, Madchild, the lead artist/spokesman describes
…The Closet as a ‘compilation of B-sides and unreleased
tracks for our core fans.’ The core fans will enjoy …The
Closet, but new listeners will most likely be taken aback
by the unsuspecting bangers from our Canuck cousins in
Canada…for those sleeping on Canada, that is.
Heaters on …The Closet
include “Steppin’ Thru”, “Fuel Injected” and “Bring It Home”
which are Van City anthems receiving
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Vancouver's
Swollen Members Photo: Battle Axe Records |
heavy radio
play and placing Swollen on their self-proclaimed throne in
the city that Expo ’86 built. On the aforementioned
cuts, Swollen displays a remarkable rhythmic sound that is
unparalleled in most Hip-Hop artists today. The unique
aspect of their work that listeners will hear with …The
Closet is the variation of sounds. Swollen is by no
means one-dimensional and this is clear from track to track
with dark and murky sounds laying a ‘real’ (or whatever that’s
supposed to mean) and underground foundation as well as
serving a genuine party vibe on several tracks.
On the reflective and melancholy “Long Way Down” the members
describe the rise and fall possibilities in life and in their
ventures in love and war. Another off kilter track is
the racy collaboration with Victoria, B.C.’s own Nelly Furtado
on the in your face and inspirational “Breath”, produced by
Rob The Viking. Furtado’s signature vocals punctuate
“Breath” with emotion and emphasize why she has risen from nowhere
to everywhere fast.
The
self-reflective “Temptation” with beats by Joey Chavez opens
with the question “Temptation things that run through your
head/ like, I wonder what my friend’s girlfriend’s like in bed
/ Yo, I bet sometimes she thinks of me instead.”
Clever…clever…Swollen is full of thought provoking and
original concepts which are clearly the definitive litmus
tests for any “TRUE” Hip-Hop artists. They pass the test
with ease and encouragement with
…The Closet. And guests are welcome to rock with
Swollen on this one, from DJ Babu to DJ Revolution, Saukrates
and Kemo of the Rascalz.
If you’re not
checking for Swollen Members, you’re missing the boat.
The multicultural mix of artists and their equally diverse
styles, ideas and concepts set them on a course to possibly be
overlooked by the fickle U.S. market, but these guys sell out
tours in Asia and Europe. Although U.S. radio for the
most part ignores Canadian Hip-Hop, Monsters In The Closet
serves as a reminder for those who know, and a wake up call
for those who do not – to consider Swollen as forerunners of
the culture. It reminds open minds to try on that gear
you might have forgotten about…you don’t know what you will
find in the closet until you look. It’s a banger…my
word.
www.battleaxerecords.com
Jose S.
Gutierrez Jr.
DJ Luvva J
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