producers: g2

A collective of four individual Boston cats released one of the sleeper albums of the last few months. The Kreators album "No Contest" can plead no contest in promoting ignorance, or doing bubble gum pop, but it has to be considered responsible for pleasing our ears with releasing soulful and heartfelt hip hop that can wake you up in the morning, and make the gray sky of the outside, a silver ceiling of your mental kingdom.

On "Foreign Lands", which is also the a-side of the first single, a gently plucked harp, as well as some tender oboe, tickle your brain awake, so that the rhymes by the emcees can enter your dome like the first sunshine that folds the blinds to the side. On "No Ordinary Love", fellow Boston legend Ed O.G. show's up to manifest the love these artists fell for their craft with accusing lyrics that will set things straight.

Mentioning that "I Can't Understand" has some female singing the chorus, has to give many of you a disgusting shiver running from your neck down to the lower back. But this is not some 'ooh, lala' R'n'B crooning, but actually the captive voice of Kamie, while the emcees eloquently rhyme a sequel of "I Used To Love H.E.R.", that very much succeeds in being a own distinctive chapter in the book of love letters to hip hop.

Do not skip pass the "Industry" interlude. An interesting monologue by XL, who talks his mind about the music industry and all it's shadiness. And while his message is real, he manages to recite it in a rather funny fashion, what makes this a Trojan horse you will be entertained listening too, without realizing that you are educated at the same time. While "Who To Trust" is not necessarily a bad song, we will much rather be stuck with "If You Don't Know" for a while. Jazzy pianos take this track into high musical spheres, combined with more thoughtful rhymes by Jayson, G2, XL and Big Juan. But only for a short time, until "Chemical", a XL solo cut takes us down into darker regions of his mind. And only before "How It Is" is once again massaging our ears with a soulful beat, in rather big contrast to Big Juan's dramatic, crying lyrics.

There's much more on this album to discover. But while not all is peas and carrots, not much is cauliflower and entrails. And while the beats are relaxing, moody, jazzy and clouding, the lyrics will have your mind chasing, chasing their words, their message, as well as their contest to contribute something creative and dope to hip hop.