Music Reviews
Artist:
Pete Philly & PerquisiteTitle:
Mystery RepeatsLabel:
AntiWebsite:
http://www.myspace.com/petephillyandperquisite
In a word - cool.
Despite the fact that the album art makes it look like the kind of CD that drops from your Daily Mail, and that the name does nothing to dispel it (its called ‘Mystery Repeats’ by someone called Perquisite) - there is nothing to fear here.
It is a blend of smooth, laid back and, for the most part, stripped down hip hop. The mix of intricate string arrangements and the occasional guitar marks it out as experimental, but there are enough four to the floor beats to keep your average hip hop head happy.
Pete and Perq first joined forces in 2002, with the aim of challenging the boundaries of hip hop, and have been touting their anti-bling brand around exclusive loft parties and a string of festivals ever since. They have performed with both Kanye and James Brown, and count everything from metal to Michael Jackson among their influences.
It’s Perq’s playful lyrical dexterity that holds the album together (exemplified on ‘Fish to Fry’ but it’s to the incorporation of sounds often ignored by hip hop’s mainstream that adds that something extra. The appearance of the sitar, which I’m sure I spotted somewhere, and the flamenco vocals on ‘Traveller’ being just two examples.
Album highlights include the trumpet solo on ‘Believer’ and ‘Q & A’ which shows once and for all that guitars can work in hip hop; not just as a cynical attempt to draw in the indie kids but backed by tight bouncy beats and over laid with delicate piano riffs.
As they announce on their mySpace “If hip hop was a sweater, Pete Philly & Perquisite would be the kid that outgrew it.” That may be true but judging by ‘Mystery Repeats’ they haven’t quite given up on it yet; they have cut off the sleeves, added a few patches and turned it inside out maybe, but its core its still hip hop.
They offer a new creative, challenging take on the genre but without over labouring the need to be different.
