BACK TO MAIN
By l-ementary - UGSmag.com
At the forefront of the underground hip hop scene in Canada are Swollen Members. No group in Canada deserves more respect then the duo of Mad Child and Prevail, who’ve even been titled an official Rocksteady group by the legendary b-boy crew. They have connections all over the world, "triple ghetto gold" record sales (60 000) and attracted some of the best producers and emcees on their first album, the now classic Balance.
With such high expectations, it might appear a let down would be in order. But, fear not, the Members live up to these expectations, delivering a sold album with Bad Dreams.
Lyrically, they’ve never sounded better. While still kicking knowledge and battle rhymes, they’ve expanded their writing, focusing on other issues and topics. The best example of this is the hilarious, yet brilliant, "Ventilate", in which go rhyme back and forth, explaining why they hate each other. You gotta hear this track to appreciate how good it is. As well, they are joined by Dilated Peoples, Chali 2Na of J5 fame ("Full Contact"), Battle Axe warrior Buc Fifty ("Dark Riders" and "Poker Face"), Planet Asia ("Total Package"), Moka Only ("Fuel Injected") and others. Cuts by DJ Revolution and Babu don’t hurt either.
Beat-wise, they bring back pretty much the same team that crafted Balance, meaning a top-flight list of producers. From Evidence to Joey Chavez to Alchemist to Kemo (who produced the brilliant current single "Fuel Injected"), weak beats are few and far between. But the one who shines brightest is resident Battle Axe producer Rob the Viking, who steps up his productions to another level. Since this album came out a few days ago, I’ve already heard people compliment his ever-evolving sound, and he now ranks in the upper echelon of producers.
Bad Dreams can be described as Balance in the Twilight Zone; darker and more disturbed. Throw in a mix of great beats and put them in the hands of arguable the two most talented emcees in Canada and you’ll see why Swollen Members are the "total package".
2001 [UGSmag.com]