I’ve been taking some risks with my musical tastes lately. I have a cautious optimism when it comes to hip-hop. The mainstream American hip-hop scene I consider to be either disturbing or dead. But indie hip-hop and international hip-hop have shown some promise.
So I decided to give the “J-Rap” genre a chance. I suspected it might not be good, since even Japanese musicians tend to turn to Western artists to help perform hip-hop themes (see: Persona 3). At any rate, Ki/oon records has been promoting the artist Taro Soul quite a bit. The guy seems to have a sense of humor, as his second single, “Soul Dreamer,” features a sleeping chimpanzee on a bed for the front cover. On the reverse side, you see Taro Soul in the same position. With those images in mind, I popped in the “Soul Dreamer” single, hoping for the best.
Find out if my gamble paid off in our review after the jump. (more…)
