SPIT: 90 Minutes of Hip Hop

I actually won this CD on the quiz at therapcella.com against all odds. I received it in the mail today. And it's a pop-rock album! It's definitely an album packed with songs you'll want to hear live. I suggest going to their next gig.

As I got over the initial shock of actually listening to a pop-rock album I started to enjoy it. At least it's not your typical rap release. Produced by Magoo, who also produced Regurgitator, it's a step in a completely new direction in Oz hip-hop. The members of TZU have swapped their drum machines and samplers with a good ol' band line up.

As a "wow, we're rap artists and look, we can play instruments and make rock tracks too" type album, the new TZU CD rates all right. As an avid hip-hop-head and a patron of all kinds of music, especially four piece rock band outfits, I have to say, though, that I don't think they're pulling it off. Some songs here are quite weak.

That said, the album is worth a listen. Maybe it'll grow on me. The cool thing is that when TZU all of a sudden does this no one knows what to expect next time. They have definitely proven themselves to be more varied than the average rap group. Let the experimentation roll.