Redcloud Is this thing on? LP Remember a time when Eminem was happy – well at least, a time when his anger was voiced through intelligent rhymes enlightened by a sense of humour? Well the production of “is this thing on?” utilises the same kitch keyboard pop sound used by the Webb brothers during Eminem’s “Slim Shady LP,” there’s a goth-rap track much like a recent D12 trackwhere Redcloud admonishes the prince of darkness and declares that God’s “cool like the other side of the pillow,” - there’s even a track where Redcloude plays “Stan” to his mentor Pigeon John. Returning a much needed sense of hmility and humour to mainstream rap, Redcloud is a melodic emcee who wants to entertain as much as evangelise with his raps and so the grappling with daily doubt that is “Redclouds by day” represents one of the few overtly Christian raps during an album that challenges misconceptions, plays with prejudices – and does so in a very entertaining way. Redcloud’s emceeing style is predominently based upon a series of patterns of inflections and emphases which change up per verse and not per line.. This can get repetitive after a while but if it’s good enough for Mos Def or Phi Life cypher it’s good enough for Redcloud and his honeyed, tuneful flow. In spite of Redcloud’s playful unchallenging façade he does make time to deal with a weighty issue at the core of his identity. Through powerful lines like “is the raping of our women in the gospel of God??” Redcloud uses the moving highlight of the album “Koyote gospel” as an attempt to reconcile his identity as a Native American who chose Christianity with his knowledge of the treatment of his people through time by those claiming authority in Christ’s name. During “Is this thing on?” Henry Andrade is clearly determined to cover as many bases and spread the word to as many hiphop scenes as possible on the one album. This is an admirable and largely successful endeavour but it also serves to bring a whole new bag of archetypes to the term “culturally confused.” No matter whether he’s spouting gothic apocalyptic declorations during “last of the Mex-hee-cans,” Rapping about ducking gunshots whilst cruising the streets of California in his 1981, black El Camino or being yet another karate kid jumping upon the martial arts band wagon (or should that be ricshaw) During “When kenpo strikes” he displays an enchanting aptitude for engaging with others on their own terms. However, as successful as this may be in most instances, a couple of tracks do find Redcloud trying too hard to be everything to everybody. Sure, his emceeing during “Musical aggression” is technically fine but the track overall is toe-curlingly tacky as it breaks the little known 11-th commandment; namely, thou shalt not even attempt reggae rap unless your name is Roots Manuva, taipanic or rodny P. Redcloud’s zealous cultural fence-hopping culminates with the title track whose central conceit finds this Mexican Native American Christian emcee booked to play at a country club. This is amusing for so many reasons; not least because the track finds an Indian playing to a hostile gang of cowboys using a Black cultural artform. reflecting the way in which Redcloud meets his audience on their terms, the track is full of references to his car and sound system and such. However, pandering to this audience’s appetites can get problematic when Redcloud’s verse about finding the devil, setting him alight and stringing him up is taken out of context. In other Syntax Records news, be on the look out for a handful of projects set to drop by Braille. © Copyright 2001, CD Goldie for ukhh.com. - Sumo Kaplunk | profile  Related Links: His label © ukhh.com 1999 - 2001