Rap music has been a recorded artform for 32 years now. We’ve seen crews materialize and then dissipate into the ether, vaporized by their own lack of confidence and reliance on gimmicks. We’ve watched respected artists get fucked by the industry and succumb to the same sort of pressure. We’ve seen others gain so much success that they can afford to sit back on their laurels and collect residual ducats. But there’s another side to the game: those artists that were selpt on from jump street but retained a good rep and a following as a result of simply putting out good music. It’s a beautiful thing. Trendz of Culture,¹ those crazy styling cats best known for the anthemic “Off and On” and the  “Who Got My Back”² are still making music, sounding older and wiser but still dope on the mellow, feel-good “Family.”

The eccentric Long Island outfit Son Of Bazerk has been even more visible as of late, having recorded and released a new album Well Thawed Out, and performed a few shows in support of it.³ Their new music picks up right where they left off and they look they are having the time of their life. Ain’t nothing changed but the waistlines and that’s how it should be. — Thun

1. Check their myspace page for recent updates. [↩]
2. This review sums up their only album “Trendz” very nicely. [↩]
3. Jesse Serwer’s two part piece on Son Of Bazerk should catch you up if you’re unfamiliar: Pt1 and Pt2. [↩]