Common Market - Common Market
www.masslinemedia.com - $$$(1/2)
Review by Nin
If one were to assess the value of rap by taking stock of its cosmetic demerits, it would be easy to dismiss it as a creatively stagnant medium for self-aggrandizement and gangster theatrics, bereft of any enduring artistic or moral worth. It’s true that the spiritual bankruptcy of overground hip-hop has never been more grave, a grievous state of affairs exacerbated by continued corporate exploitation and widespread artistic irresponsibility.
Of course, as with other incendiary countercultures like punk rock, crustcore and heavy metal, one need only penetrate beneath the grotesque veneer to discover a thriving subterranean microcosm that continues to sustain itself on integrity, ethical accountability and unmitigated invention. Some might propose that the neo-Native Tongues-isms that have been propagated across underground circles of late have stilled the momentum of indie rap, but the vitality of righteous boom-bap is surely beyond disputation, especially with bastions like Common Market buttressing its focal tenets.
Grounded and exquisitely musical rap music is the modus operandi here, with the duo refuting the indifference that has permeated and defined modern American sentiment. At the same time, RA Scion never belabours the point here- outspoken without being obtrusive or obnoxious, his eloquent verse and laconic, stridently enunciated Talib-esque metre resonate with the nobler chords of the human spirit. Augmented by unpretentious but forceful hook-craft and elegant, diverse production, the record is simultaneously an accessible, intimate paean to organic hip-hop and a rousing treatise on individual responsibility in the face of ominous moral conundrums. Socio-politically conscious hip-hop is always a daunting proposition, and more often than not results in self-righteous condescension or overly inflammatory diatribe.
In uncanny fashion, RA Scion toes the trapeze between socio-political sensitivity and holier-than-thou pomp- accoutering his verse with an array of linguistic ornaments, his adroit, restless style acutely probes and prods the intellect, phrasing weighty social and ecological questions in the form of playful metaphor. The songs, saturated as they are with compassion and altruism, never come off as too blatant, too laborious in its well-intentioned moralism.
The strength of this record hinges on the fact that said songs themselves are unflinchingly consistent, infused with meticulous care towards construction and execution. As such, it is acutely cognizant of the fact that an ideologically-driven rap album must be erected upon a solid musical terra firma. This is really strong stuff, I look forward to more from these folks.
