Galactic

'From the Corner to the Block'

Avoiding the jam-band ghetto with the help of crafty MCs.

Spin Rating7 of 10

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

By Mosi Reeves

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