Music: The1shanti: India Bambaataa

Our Take

Hip hop artist the1shanti has created quite a buzz in the New York area. Credited for helping to bring English language hip-hop to India, the1shanti is now ready to unleash his debut solo album upon the world. India Bambaataa contains 12 tracks of extremely laid back hip hop tracks that are catchy and have some club worthy beats to them. The overall vibe is a bit different than what one usually gets from music of this type, but that certainly isn't a bad thing.

All of the beats on India Bambaataa have a subtle hint of that club style vibe to them, but at the same are extremely laid back. This produces a sound that stands on its own above the mainstream rap/hip hop scene, especially considering that a lot of cultural sounds are thrown into the mix (especially on the title track). At times the sounds on this album begin to resemble Jurassic 5, which is not a bad thing at all. The immense variety of different beats and instruments used throughout the course of India Bambaataa make it a unique listen.

One of the most important elements of any hip hop album is the flow and presentation of the MC. In this respect, the1shanti does not disappoint. His flow always matches the speed of the instrumentals of each song, no matter how fast or slow they may be. Sometimes rapping seems to be nothing more than spoken word over a beat, but the1shanti truly makes an effort to have his words match up perfectly with the music. The lyrics on this album are also interesting, and have meaning unlike most of the mainstream hip hop on the market right now.

India Bambaataa is more in line with hip hop acts such as Jurassic 5 rather than "rap", which will definitely make it appeal to a wide variety of people. With interesting grooves and catchy songs, the1shanti should make waves among the genre. Listeners who only want up-tempo club tracks will be disappointed, but everyone else will appreciate the heart felt lyrics and mellow atmosphere. Here's hoping the mainstream can get into his album, as the1shanti could open the door to more hip hop from India.

http://www.the1shanti.com/

Chris Dahlberg
November 15, 2006