Katalyst – Whats Happening

HOW BOUT US!!!!
Serious album. Recommended…
Hip hop has become a monster and it´s birth place, the good old USA, is not a good place to be looking for interesting, cutting edge hip hop these days and if you are, then you have to dig deep. In the USA current hip hop is all too often mirroring it´s society – it´s all about money, machismo and me, me, me. Having a clothes line and some sneakers named after you is as important as the music. Innovation has been lost in a rush to sound the same as everyone else, because that´s what´s selling, right? It´s more hip pop than hip hop these day and I for one am not buying it. The good thing is hip hop´s tentacles have reached all corners of the globe and everyone is giving it their personal twists Personally I´m listening to as much hip hop from Africa and the UK as I am from the US. Well now my horizons have just been broadened. Katalyst actually hails from Australia and I´m guessing he´s over 30 as he´s looking back to the old school and the golden age of hip and early 70´s black music. Funky, soulful beats with some nice modern production. Positive, thought provoking lyrics and political commentary litter the album though he never forgets people want to nod their heads – edutainment any one? I threw the CD in the player and was instantly hooked and now I´ve given it a few listens it´s dragging me further into it´s musical web.. Steve Spacek does a good job of reincarnating the spirit of Curtis Mayfield, local heroes Ru C.L and Hau fly the flag for Ozzie mcs, J-Live, Diverse and Supernatural keep it real and show the US isn´t all bad and Yungun has just become my favourite UK mc – the real lyrical find of the album for me – “I don´t carry guns, I just stick to them”. If you´ve never brought a hip hop album don´t be scared this album will appeal to anyone with a soulful, funky sensibility and is a great introduction to how lyrically valid and eloquent rap can be in the right hands. It´s official Bondi is the new Bronx..