Crown City Rockers

For those who think live hip-hop begins and ends with the Roots, the Crown City Rockers are ready to alter your misperceptions and demonstrate that there's more than one way to put on a live hip-hop show. With Raashan Ahmad rocking the mic, keyboardist Kat Ouano on a Fender Rhodes, Max MacVeety on drums, and Headnodic and Woodstock in control of the production, the Crown City Rockers are busy proving themselves as astute on stage as they are in the studio.

At first you might think, 'this can't be a live band--they're too tight, too meticulously rhythmic, they must be using a drum machine.' But you'd need a soul sampler to deliver the essential funk that's going on here. That's not to say, though, that the Crown City Rockers don't sample at all. In fact, throughout their 2004 album Earthtones (Basement Records), they weave in references to soul and jazz classics, much like the way John Coltrane or Miles Davis would drop in a quote from Charlie Parker. In each case it's a technique that creates new music while at the same time referencing and paying tribute to their influences.

The players first met up in Boston, where part of the group trained at Berklee School of Music, calling themselves Mission. They released a self-titled EP under that name in 2000, with the full-length One following in 2001. The group changed its name to the Crown City Rockers when the self-important Goth-rock band Mission U.K. threatened to sue (which was an ironic twist, since the Mission U.K. had to add the U.K. to its name because of an equally pompous R&B group from the U.S.). Dedicated to the type of feel-good, humorous, and intelligent rap espoused by '90s hip-hop groups like the Pharcyde, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest, the Crown City Rockers have come into their own on Earthtones, with Rashaan taking full MC responsibilities after the departure of former MC Moe Pope. Hip-hop pioneer Slick Rick may be known as the master of The Art of Storytelling, but that doesn't mean there aren't more stories for new generations to tell--and storytelling is central to Rashaan's lightly lisping style. Each track takes you on a trip: on "B-Boy" Rashaan journeys down hip-hop memory lane; on "Something Pt. III" he breaks down the group's sound; on "Fate" he spouts philosophically about love and life against a captivating, offbeat rhythm.

CCR doesn't stop at hip-hop, though; lovers of soul, R&B, jazz, and downtempo will also find elements in the group's sound to latch onto. The players themselves, too, have chops to spare. Kat's jazzy keys take center stage, summoning a sound like Herbie Hancock that's perfectly complemented by Max's skin-tight drumming. And when singer Destani Wolf delivers the hook on "Sidestep," off of Earthtones , you'll swear you're chilling at a sunny BBQ in the 1970s, in the days before guns took over fists as the weapon of choice.

With guest MCs like Zion, Scarub, and Gift of Gab increasing Earthtones' momentum, the Crown City Rockers are poised to bring hip-hop back to its roots. But judge for yourself: Listen to the album, and more importantly, go see this band for a live hip-hop experience you won't forget.