Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Sun Zoo releases album

http://www.sun-zoo.com/ or http://www.veggiecorecords.com/

Sun Zoo is not your typical rapper. For him, hip hop is not about the egotism of the ‘get rich quick’ brigade, but about reaching people, about sending a positive message and about telling the world a story about itself.

Roads on the Earth is Sun Zoo’s third full-length album and it is the sound of an artist who has truly found his own voice, both lyrically and musically.

The album may be inspired by Sun Zoo’s rap heroes. It may have the lyrical intellect of a Nas, a Rakim or a Talib Kweli and the crisp, original beats of RZA or Kanye West. But Sun Zoo’s sound is very much his own.

As the man himself says on ‘Two Cents’, he is lending a helping hand “by composing my opinions on a beat.” This is just one of several tracks that, together, show Sun Zoo has some strong opinions on America, on music and on the ‘game’ that is hip hop. In a sense, just as Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Diggable Planets and Public Enemy have done in the past, this young man from Hartford, Connecticut represents rap’s conscience.

Not content with the easy clichés that so many other artists in the genre, Sun Zoo does not settle for sampling the obvious beats used by every wannabe rapper for twenty years. Instead, he has produced the intricate, musically complex beats on every track on this record.

These beats give the Sun Zoo sound a strange sense of melancholy, like the best Kanye West or The Streets tracks. Coupled with an intense flow that still never loses its sense of humour, and lyrics which are as deep and complex as they are catchy, Roads on the Earth could truly be destined to become a hip hop classic.

The title track is a call to arms for people across all races and nationalities. ‘Morning After’ is a lovelorn ballad with a driving, incessant beat that simultaneously unnerves and excites the listener.

The whole album will grab rap aficionados and music fans from across the spectrum. The idea of “crossover appeal” often implies a diluted sound. However, with this album, Sun Zoo shows that you can appeal across the board without compromising what you are about as an artist.

Sun Zoo is a rap star in the making. This album is your chance to discover why.

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