NextUp: U-N-I

In the early 90's, West Coast Hip Hop was introduced to the world by the likes of Ice-T, NWA, The D.O.C., and many others. Since the West Coat branded itself as the gangsta capital of hip hop, many artists like Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game helped perpetuate the reputation of West Coast gangsta rap. While a majority of artists from the West Coast typically represent the street life of the West, a new duo in hip hop is coming with something fresh and new. Meet U-N-I, two dope and innovative MC's who hail from Inglewood, CA. U-N-I consists of intelligent emcee Thurzday, and Y-O who rocks a signature Mohawk. Not only do they possess dope rhymes, they have a unique fashion style and are big time sneakerheads.

U-N-I is a breath of fresh air in not only West Coast hip hop, but hip hop in general. They do as music artists should and keep their music original, personal, and fun. Their street album Fried Chicken & Watermelon is ill. Many hip hop artists rely on popular producers to create a good album, but U-N-I uses upcoming producers who compliment their rap style which results into smooth, vintage-styled hip hop you can vibe to. They touch many subjects and remain creative with their music. Whether their rapping about their love for kicks on "Kream (Kick Rule Everything Around Me)", where they flip Wu-Tang's classic "Cream"; pregnancy scares on "Knock on Wood", or using classic games as a reference to hip hop on "Castlevania" (which samples the boss theme to the classic NES game under the same title). One of my favorite tracks off Fried Chicken & Watermelon is "Beautiful Day", a feel-good track which features production similar to the late Jay Dilla. Peep the video below:

U-N-I have opened up for many hip hop acts such as Redman, Lupe Fiasco, and recently Public Enemy and Ghostface Killah. If you're out in LA, make sure you peep one of their local shows. Below is a link to their myspace where you can hear more music from U-N-I and purchase your copy of the Fried Chicken & Watermelon album.

http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/UNIMuzik