It's hard to imagine this much fun packed into one disc. But the Twenty first Century Blues Boys have, with the acknowledged assistance and appearance of Chris Thomas King in their midst, produced what surely appears to be one of the smoothest translations yet of a hip hop and Blues cocktail. Sip it slowly, and dance the night away. This is a spine tingling blend that slides into the gullet and makes you want to dance on one hand, and swing your feet to the side.
A powerful mix of rhythm and lyricism, King has taken the soulful and crisp lyricism of MYSELF a New Orleans spoken poet and the delta blues guitar styling of Baby Wolf and by joining these two genius performers has created a very young, new and pure sound.
Pioneering a new genre of blues/ hip hop is something that has been tried before with some success by RL Burnside on a Tom Rothrock produced album, Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down. This attempt, although lauded by this writer, was refuted by purists of the delta blues genre. Mostly because of the hard earned respect RL had gained as being the last of the traditional Blues men of his generation. Many felt disappointed thinking he had sold out to a more commercial (reaching more listeners) sound.
Fresh and undaunted by anything except their devotion to making a sound that they can call their own the 21st Century B Boys have no baggage. On Now or Never they lay down new tracks for a new generation of ears and in so doing will open up young minds to traditional blues sounds by suggestion. The raw sex, and pure energy on this album can not be anything but fresh coming from these boys who are seemingly just out of high school.
Chris Thomas King was excellent as Tommy Johnson, extolling the crossroads legend, in the Coen Brothers movie, O Brother Where art Thou, and it appears he has taken all the money he has made from this very successful venture in to show business and by opening 21st Century Blues Records has done for the Delta Blues what few have been able to do. Until now.
King himself, a humble soul, who in a recent web interview said he would rather be in the studio producing than on the stage should not let those paranoid feelings hold him back because he is a great performer as well, but as this venture proves, he is also a great producer.
Baby Wolf shows off his vocal talents on Get Wit U a song that should be the first single off this extraordinary album that highlights a marriage of disparate talents and sounds, that although hard to peg and categorize by those who must, should merely be accepted for its great listening value. We all Family is another very upbeat and dancing around the kitchen table friendly cut.
One of my favourite songs is Celestial Body (Let Me Lick) showing off the spoken word talents of MYSELF and the harmonies of Baby Wolf and King. Let's all sing, "Let me lick, let me lick, let me lick your thighs." Marvin Gaye and Barry White are smiling down from up high and boogieing along to this and the very funky, My Pain, Your Pleasure.
41 Bullets with Baby Wolf on Dobros, and haunting rap vocals of Myself is the purist's revenge, a song that truly blends the genres. This song defies you to slip it slow, and drink deep of the tradition of the delta Blues, and wake up to the new awareness of the lyricism of rap at it's best. Along with the traditional Death Letter made famous by every blues man from the thirties to today, these boys pay reverence to their past but make us aware that the 21st Century is upon us, so we must boogie, even if we have the Blues.
www.21cbrecords.com
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