The Starving Artists Crew is coming out on some ol’ ’93 ‘Til Infinity, Super Macho Man type shit. If you haven’t heard of Detroit-via-Flint’s finest throwback emcees, then copping Up Pops the Sac will definitely plant a grin on your grill. Thanks to production from Thes One and SP, the Starving Artists Crew manages to bounce between past, present and future without actually nipping anyone’s style. Amazing for four white dudes initially written off several years ago as wannabe emcees.
Now back on the horse (not that horse), MC’s IQ, SP, Brainstorm, and DJ Phizyx have put out one of the year’s most instinctively honest and playful hip-hop albums. The foursome has the basics: jazz, breaks, crisp rhymes and hilarious interludes. Behind the decks, Phizyx and Lansing’s Tekayone put turntablism back in the forefront, lending scratches on “SAC Swagger” and “Up Pops the Sac” as fine as anyone else in these parts. “Artistry Original,” (originally released in Japan in 2001) and “Five Day Trippin’” add the most head bounce action here. “B-Boy Buffet” homages hip-hop’s finest, while “Vic the Hailers” shows the SAC’s true “blue” colors. Despite subliminal L.A. sound bites that creep in on several of the 18 tracks, Up Pops the Sac brings an organic house blend that’s sip-worthy even on the most treacherous of morning commutes.
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