For their sixth album, New Orleans jazz-funk quintet Galactic solicited a bevy of guest rappers: On “What You Need,” Lyrics Born plays a boisterous street boot-legger, while Mr. Lif (“And I’m Out”) and Gift of Gab (“The Corner”) portray black men haunted by random violence and police sweeps. Galactic complement these inspired contributions — as well as others from New Orleans native Juvenile, Digable Planets’ Ladybug Mecca, and the Coup’s Boots Riley — with chunky wah-wah guitars, chugging rhythms, and beats so tightly action-packed that they could be the soundtrack to a sleek Hollywood crime frolic.
Now Hear This: Galactic – “I Got It (What You Need)” DOWNLOAD MP3
