I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘em by now: two hipster rappers out of Chicago called the Cool Kids, riding an 80’s nostalgia MySpace tide with their Black Mags track. Propelled by the no-really-it’s-still-ironic rope chains and mid-eighties douchewear gimmick, the duo have become the darlings of the white hipster scene. But when a group calls themselves the “black Beastie Boys,” the red flag is visible from outer space.

Raashan Ahmad, Crown City Rockers‘ resident MC, is ready to unleash his first full-length solo effort upon the world. It’s called The Push, it hits stores May 20th, and it’s a breath of fresh air in a musical climate plagued by an epidemic of success by piggy-backing and repetition. Raashan’s role in the living-legend, funk/soul/hip-hop group has clearly helped prepare the B-Boy for a confident first step out on his own. We discussed The Push with Raashan back in March, and he was kind enough to show his appreciation by hooking us up with the album before it hits stores.

Read on for our review.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of shitty hip-hop. The devolving trends of recycled misogyny and cartoonish, ridiculous materialism in hip-hop that fuel a crumbling industry have kept me from doing anything more than ride the ’seek’ button through the radio waves for years. There is a nearly-untapped world of quality hip-hop in the “underground” scene, a place where assertive, socially conscious rhymes meet diverse musical influence. It’s a place that deserves a hell of a lot more attention than it gets.
Crown City Rockers are among the best and brightest of today’s hip-hop scene, bringing a melting pot of soul, funk-laced grooves and old-school inflected rhymes to the table. 5 Gold Stars, their follow up to 2004’s Earthtones, is due to hit later this year. We caught up with Crown City MC Raashan Ahmad to discuss Crown City, his solo project The Push (out May 20th), and the inconvenience of revolution.