Iomos Marad Deep Rooted LP Chicago-based drummer/rapper Iomos Marad regularly plies his trade at the Jackson stop of the CTA Chicago train line, where he drums and raps just cos he loves performing and can’t sleep in, waiting for club sets. You can tell from his album “Deep Rooted” that the man is on a mission. From the offset, the conscious lyrics rely heavily on providing a solid basis for Marad’s roots and his background. Songs such as “Each 1 Teach 1” and “Anotha Late Night” showcase some beautiful flows with some poignant and intelligent lyrics about Marad’s worldview, incorporating agit-prop political polemic into the mix. Style-wise, Marad is reminiscent of Talib Kweli’s much faceted flows, where he can choose to sit on the beat or walk all over it and back into a steady rhythm again. He takes one breath for every two but this is just as well because at 16 tracks, he has a lot to say and a lot to prove. It’s as if he feels he will never get the chance again to have such a platform, so is using his chance to present his message to the world. Musically, the beats are varied, but remain mid-tempo at around 90-95 bpm. The samples use a lot of brooding strings and jazzy trumpets. There is an air of grit as well as an organic layer to each song. It’s a confident record and a solid collection of songs. Stand out tracks are the banging and consistent opener “I Stand Alone” as well as the educational and lyrically superior “Each 1 Teach 1”. Marad’s voice is strong and the drum patterns reflect his background as a drummer. I am sure that in places, he has played live drums in himself. Basically, the album is strong and I cannot recommend it enough. I have a feeling that it will grow on me with each repeated listen. And that is always a good sign for any record. I have an urge to listen to it again, and I will. - Nikesh Shukla  Related Links: All Natural © ukhh.com 1999 - 2003