By now we all know to trust Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA to deliver crucial hip-hop to the masses. They've been serving it up for decades. The beats are unique, with layers of electronic instruments making up much of the instrumental bulk with occasional dirty guitars. There is an old school hip-hop essence, but the sound stretches far beyond that, even diving into reggae vibes on some tracks. The raps and rhymes throughout are intricate and downright impressive. Guest appearances from big names such as Nas add further complexity to the album.
The irony with the release of Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is that there has yet to be a "Part One." For reasons not yet understood the Beastie Boys felt it appropriate to release Part Two on time, despite the fact that the release of Part One has been repeatedly delayed. Whatever their reasoning for this, fans will just have to trust that these hip-hop giants know best. They haven't disappointed yet.
Written by Joshua Edwards, Music Department
On the KDHX Charts: #2 Hip Hop and #3 CMJ for May 24, 2011
This album can be heard on: Rawthentic, the Mixtape and Train of Thought.
