Although
Iswhat?!
are technically a
hip-hop
group, their style, and really, their overall vibe and appeal are much more closely rooted to the
bop
and
free jazz
tradition than they are to the South Bronx. "A
Mingus
-type tune for Jurassic
Monk
blues
," MC, producer, and beatboxer
Napoleon
rhymes in
"Profiles"
over a line from
Coltrane
's
"Giant Steps"
and featuring drums from
Hamid Drake
.
uses his words as much for their rhythmic qualities as he does for their meaning, employing a slam
poetry-esque
technique in telling stories and criticizing the government. There is somewhat of a political agenda on
The Life We Chose
, but it's more social consciousness than conspiracy theory. This of course means that
run the risk of becoming overly theatrical, but
's rhymes are intelligent and provocative enough, rarely blaming individuals (an exception being
George Bush
in
"Ill Biz"
) but focusing instead on situations, to prevent that from happening. So while the two minutes of a wailing mother over her murdered son on
"Circus"
may be rather dramatic, it's hard to argue that it's not also powerful and affecting. Where
really stand out, however, is in their music. Most of the songs use
Jac Walker
's sax (generally tenor), a bass, and some kind of beat, be it live,
electronic
, or beatboxed by
, a skill he shows off especially well on the two fantastic live cuts,
"Kashmir"
"Pilgrimage,"
the latter of which is, along with
"Mooch,"
solely instrumental.
"Casket"
is swinging and organic, and yet smoothly blends in synthesized elements thanks to
Ming + FS
' production, creating something spontaneous but polished at the same time. The only spot on which they falter is in the
techno
-influenced
"Front,"
which, while not bad per se, contrasts dissonantly with the rest of the songs on the album, because what really separates
at their best from other
groups is their dedication to
jazz
-- the horn solos, the loping bass -- and their energy and professionalism. When these are all allowed to really come through,
are as exciting and innovative as anything else out there. ~ Marisa Brown