Flow on and on and on
Santa Fe underground hip-hop collective Flow Nice brought the sick beats and dope rhymes back in 2005 with the album Listen Closley (World Records Music), which found the group's main MC and Turntablist getting some live-music backup from local band La Junta. On a new EP, Flow Nice and Friends (World Records Music/Seamless Sound), the group broadens its songwriting scope and invites a new stable of musicians into its funky fold. MCs represented on the 12-track release include Davi J, Context, Jus B, St Jon the Gift, Funkshin, and DJ Seeda Seamless.
Musicians include Tony C'deBaca, David Fishback, Gilbert Uribe and Matt Carrasco-Trujillo. Yes, its a big family, but it's a tight, homegrown, and talented one that has nothing to do with entourages, pimps, gats, gold, or bitches. It's called "intelligent hip-hop" for a reason, and these guys seem to get it right every time. Fans of A Tribe Called Quest, Sage Francis, and Company Flow: you want this album right now, and you can find it on cdbaby.com as a CD or at iTunes and Amazon.com as a digital download.
From Santa Fe comes one of the coolest albums all year. We're talking about well crafted hip hop, swift rhymes, and deft sampling. Citing A Tribe Called Quest among their influences, elements of Flow Nice's style remind me of the late 80s early 90s when rap first entered the mainstream consciousness. But this album is hardly a return to the old school, the songs demonstrate a diverse musical background, ranging from funk and R&B samples, to what seems to be soundtrack clips. "So Happy" is a highlight--humorous without being silly. The album's subtle but Latin identity surfaces in "Me Saboriar" so well as the answering machine montage in "Additional Help." Take heed of this up-and-coming band; Listen Closely and repeatedly- Stella Meredith--HyperActive Music Magazine 2006
Santa Fe's Flow Nice remind us that there's more to hip-hop than how many bullet wounds you've accumulated. These down-to-earth, forthright emcees remain true to the mold of groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Jurassic Five, who don't hide behind gimmicks and street cred. Instead, Flow Nice lets their seamless samples and smirk-inducing lyrics do the talking. Perhaps most impressively, the requisite vibrato is carried out in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that's refreshing in a genre where everyone and their mom claims to be an ill emcee.
