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Ok, ok, everyone quiet down for rollcall; Aesop, Bicasso, Eligh, Grouch, Luckyiam, Murs, Scarub, Sunspot Jonz... I’d like you to witness a gathering of eight of the finest west coast MCs to grace a microphone. Living Legends’ latest recording, The Gathering, is a collection of spit-fire verses from a supergroup of underground poets.
I’ve always been a fan of the Legends, their collective group and solo work amounts to something like 50 full-length albums. Many are true underground gems for true hip-hop heads willing to support independent artists. Not everyone likes their rap with the bling-bling gangsta imagery. The Gathering may look like a short album with a mere 7 songs, but that’s for two reasons. One, all killer and no filler! Two, every artist spits on every track. Do the maths, that’s at least 8 different verses and ideas to each song. And what a collection of songs! They’re well crafted, well produced and the creative differences of every artists compliment one another so well you can see why these boys are at the top of west coast scene. Every song looks at a single idea and every artist lends his idea and abilities to the jam.
The album kicks off with the title track, a sort of welcome home for the Living Legends who basically invented the west coast underground. The album then moves on to their group tribute song She Wants Me. The rest of the album look at topics like the government, annd war and peace, and several songs have some smooth hooks for you to sink your teeth into. The standout track for me is the closer, After Hours (Extended Euromix), which is a laid back tribute to the late night party animal in all of us. Whether you’re hitting an underground club in Prague or your local service station at 4:30am, this jam is for you. It’s cool, it’s sexy and every party hopper can take something away from the dope lyrics and smooth horns. Each Legend tells of a different party scenario; from house parties to McDonalds in Japan, flip this track for your after hours spot, even if it’s too early for sleep and too late for a late night creep.
The Gathering flows together as well as the Legends do themselves. They certainly live up to their name, as this is legendary stuff. Pick it up and give it a spin, your streets will be banging like it is 1995 all over again.
Xpose says...
Invented the west coast underground? Big call.