
In recent years rap music has become horribly cliched. Where once there were genuine political statements and a sense of drama this has now been evaporated and turned into tired re-hashes of old tunes; the messages now more concerned with promoting the rapper's ego than a worthy cause. New York-based Northern State are hardly a revolutionary act but they do convey a positivity and the interplay between the three female protagonists is a joy; Hesta Prynn's feisty yelping, Guinea Love's throaty vocals with DJ Sprout providing the middle ground between the two. The beats certainly nod to the Beastie Boys but that's certainly no crime, especially when the varying song structures on 'Trinity', 'Signal Flow', 'All the Same' and the outstanding title track are so strong. This may only be a mini-album that runs to just over half an hour but it boasts more grooves and ideas than most of today's bloated rap efforts.