producers: dj embee

guests: dj noise, freestyle, kekke kulcha, timbuktu

Looptroop is from Sweden. But their name is known outside of this Scandinavian country too, maybe mainly due to the stuff Promoe, one member of the Looptroop, has been doing with people like High & Mighty's Milo. Hence his 12" "Off The Record" had several heads turn, and kept the others in a motion in the vertical. But there where other chances to catch up with the 'troop, like obviously the "Heads Or Tails" EP on their own David vs. Goliath imprint, or the DJ Embee "Embeetious Art EP", that included the magnificent "Another Poor Lonesome Homeboy". Teaming up with the Burning Heart label, that is usually more associated with scruffy people playing electric guitars, we are given this full length album, going by the name of "Modern Day City Symphony".

Teaming up with DJ Noise, the "Intro" opens with some trademark scratching. The whole album is produced by DJ Embee, and he does one of his boom bap offerings for "Zombies", where Promoe & Cosm.i.c. discuss the shadiness of the record industry, doing it in their always on the brink to arrogance style, what's mainly due to their aggressive flows. Part of the respect the Looptroop is getting, is due to them always repping the whole of the hip hop culture. That's why they are doing a track like "Ambush In The Night", that's telling us about last night's activity, where walls were hit, buffers given work, and with them concluding "don't they know graffiti can't be stopped / writers unlike rappers can't go pop". After this track, that also includes rhymes by Supreme, Promoe is treated with a solo cut, that he calls "Adrenaline Rush", and that he uses to show his braggadocios talent, with him spitting battling verses.

This is kinda lighthearted when compared to a track like "Long Arm Of The Law", that is discussing police matter, making this as much an ideological and political statement, as a hip hop track. More personal, while not really personal, is "Fever", where sanity, or the lack of, is explored, with the 'troop teaming up with Freestyle (formerly of the Arsonists), who is also featured on Promoe's solo album. This track talks about that there's usually more than first meets the eye, making this an elaboration of the track before this one. Freestyle stays around for "Focus", that is giving us our favorite beat so far, with Embee combining a guitar chord, with some other sounds, to a pleasing effect. We continue with a lyrically interesting topic, as on "Business & Pleasure", Promoe and Supreme talk about the contradiction, impossibility, necessity or hope, to get business and pleasure work with each other or along each other.

All three 'troop emcees then team up on "Hated By Everyone", where Embee is going for a bouncy feel, making this the track to have your neck snap. The lyrics are not filling your head with extra weight, but are keeping things in the bragging and boasting department, and this is being furthered on "Heed This Warning", that is the last track that features Freestyle. He's being followed as a guest by Kekke Kulcha, who's on "In The Place To Be", that is aiming for some call and response type reaction. Here Embee is again drawing a dope beat outta his hat, that's especially nice due to the piano. "Thief" is then very hard to accept, as it is of an ideology that we struggle to support. There have been other tracks like this, however, this here is really a call for you to follow their larceny steps, with reasons given, that are of their belief, and as such respected, but at the same time, come across lacking reflection. So we better progress to "Reclaim The City", that is once more welcoming us with an ill Embee offering. Timbuktu is featured on here, and once more the words are a mixture of guerilla tactics, theories and tales to represent their system of thinking.

What then leaves us with a quick "Interlude", that's mainly operating as an intro to "A Modern Day City Symphony", that is built upon the maybe most complex Embee offering, it being rather intense and huge. And so after hearing fifteen tracks of the 'troop, we might can reflect on why these cats are known and popular outside of their homeland. It probably is more due to what they are stand for, than what they are actually doing, as there's obviously better versed rappers, and there's other people that are doing beats on the same level as Embee. Actually we're even a little bit disappointed by his production, that is good, but in a solid, rather than an exceptional way, and with the best beats coming on later in the album. And as said, some of the ideologies spoken on this album are of a idealized character, but that's not on us to judge or criticize. It does seem to appeal to a lot of people though, as it does seem to be part of the appeal that the Looptroop has. However, to those that have a hard to time to agree, there's plenty of more to like about the 'troop.