"The Crown Prince of Hip-Hop"

Rap music, in today's society it may be more accepted than it once was however with it's acceptance it has become less of an art form. Nas, who is probably the most respected rapper in the business today, titled his last album "Hip-Hip is Dead". That sentiment has been felt for years now. On the hells of the deaths of 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. serious heavyweight artists have slumped and the second rate stars have emerged. Hip-Hop is less about the music, the lyrical content and more about gimmicks and record sales. What was a medium that addressed social issues is now all about partying and crime.

These trends are not exclusive to Hip-Hop music. Pop music experienced a boy band marathon of sorts in the late 90's which was deemed "cookie cutter" music. The socially conscious rock bands of the 70's gave way to the hair metal bands of the 80's who in turn were upended by the grunge fad of the early 90's. Music changes it is a plain, simple and sometimes painful fact. What drew your attention, what made you fall in love with a genre will not always be around. It is refreshing to find something that harkens back to the reasons you listen to a certain kind of music, it is cathartic and makes it a little easier to accept the 50 Cents and Cam'rons of the current rap administration.

Last year I reviewed an album by an artist named Sun Zoo called "Hope Flies" (review here). I enjoyed the album more than I had enjoyed most hip-hop efforts in years. My final grade for the album was a 9/10. It came to me as somewhat of a shock to find out that the rapper had put out a new album "Can't See The Forest". Once again the benevolent MC has made the album completely free for download at his website Sun-Zoo.com. So what are my impressions of my sophomore experience in Sun Zoo's rhyme school? Read on.

From the outset of the album you can tell that Sun has stepped his game up. "Can't See The Forest" has a much more polished sound, the team backing him up seems up to his level. At times with the "Hope Flies" album it seemed the beats weren't up to par with his lyrics. The up-tempo intro gives birth to a mellow sounding album which shows of the lyrical capability of the man responsible. Lyrical mastery is showcased on every song on the album. Personal stories, points of view and experiences meld seamlessly with a great vocabulary and cadence. While you can obviously be entertained by Sun Zoo like his namesake you can also learn a thing or twenty.

It is a stretch to group Sun with Talib Kweli or KRS-One however you can hear the socially conscious voice behind most of his rhymes. The concern for society is not the forefront as Sun Zoo weaves intimate personal tales of his own struggles. It is this introspection which is completely lacking from the rap game today. A contemporary MC would rather tell you what kind of car he drives than what kind of person he is. Sun Zoo doesn't pretend to be a balla or gangsta, he is a regular human being. He is flawed and confusingly finding his way through the world. It is this self-awareness combined with an advanced intellect which sets him apart and makes him unique.

The album is a perfect blend of lyrics and beats. The music compliments the writing and being a writer the spotlight in my mind is always on the lyrical content. I not only was entertained with every track but I also connected to the words. Instead of just bobbing my head with the beat I found myself listening with a keen ear to what would happen next. For such an ego-fueled industry as the rap game Sun Zoo is not appealing to the mass market but the true hip-hop heads. You don't just listen to this album, you internalize it, digest it and it stays with you because this is more of an album of shared experiences that unite most human beings. The best compliment I can pay to Zoo is that he doesn't seem to be lecturing the listener however starting a conversation with his audience. It is the hammering over the head with message after message which is usually the downfall of independent artists.

Sun Zoo is definitely a completely original voice in hip-hop and a rarity in the world at large, a person with credibility and the ability to really know himself. If music is a microcosm for the world than Sun Zoo is the everyman, he represents all of us on some level. My personal experience with many of the subjects he writes about gives me a feeling of camaraderie. He isn't the Machiavelli of rap music but more like the Socrates of hip-hop. In fact unlike most independent artists I have heard of he is the only one I would even try and write a review for. I am not adept at expressing my views on music and I can only apologize to him for not being able to express how much his album impressed me. Hopefully a perfect score of 10/10 will help do the job.

So if you are a music fan, even if you aren't a fan of hip-hop you should definitely check out his website and download his album for free. You have nothing to lose and if one artist can open you ears to a new genre of music I guarantee you that he will be the one.

Sun Zoo "Can't See The Forest" : 10/10

Originally published at The Void by Robb.