Beatmonstas’ album ‘Bomb Til We Hit em’ nabs a new review on UK based online magazine BlackSheepMag.com. Big ups to Ryan Proctor and the staff of BlackSheepMag for the write up. Check it out below…

Whilst Chicago might have produced its fair share of well-known rap luminaries over the years, such as Common, Twista and Kanye, the Windy City has also maintained a strong underground scene, from the notable 90s efforts of artists such as All Natural and Grav, to more recent releases from the likes of Psalm One and Astonish. With that in mind, the latest album from the Beatmonstas, ‘Bomb ‘Til We Hit ‘Em, continues the Chi-town tradition of subterranean hip-hop that is as soulful and jazzy as it is hard and, at times, uncompromising.

Largely recorded during the tail-end of the Bush administration’s stranglehold on American politics, this is reflected in the Monstas choice of subject matter on certain tracks, which deal with the plight of ordinary people caught up in the daily struggle of life. On the title track the crew claim that “capitalism got niggas playing with their lives” amidst sinister, 80s-style slasher-flick synths and clipped drums, whilst the sombre ‘Can’t Fool Me Now’ covers economic crisis, the New World Order and mass media manipulation. Other highlights include the uptempo future shock of ‘Turn It Up’ and the Prince Po-assisted ‘Rippin To The Last Bar’, with Noble Dru’s expertly chopped string samples adding further emotion to a track already packed with passionately delivered reality rhymes.

For the most part ‘Bomb ‘Til We Hit ‘Em’ is quite an intense listening experience, although some light relief is offered in the form of the dreamy, around-the-way-girl anthem ‘Sexy Mama’ and the playful mack talk heard on the head-nodding ‘Unfair’.

Making politically-themed subject matter easily digestible for the masses is no easy task, but the Beatmonstas trio have succeeded here in making their views of the world easily relatable, wrapping those opinions up in warm, organic production that immediately catches the ear.

~Ryan Proctor (www.BlackSheepMag.com) - UK