At a time when
2Pac and
Notorious B.I.G.'s tragically over-hyped beef threatened to give hip-hop a black eye in the public consciousness, the ever-idealistic
Aceyalone was attempting to unite the progressive wing of West Coast hip-hop through Project Blowed. Drawing inspiration from the titular open-mic night and label, Project Blowed maps out a bold new direction for the West Coast underground, bringing together wildly diverse acts whose common bond is a shared love and respect for hip-hop coupled with a desire to expand its musical, thematic, and lyrical horizons. A defiantly low-fi, low-budget compilation that makes even underground projects like Rawkus'
Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing series look like the collected lost singles of
Puff Daddy, Project Blowed makes up for what it lacks in slickness with creativity, originality, and a strong sense of purpose. Guided by the progressive vision of A-Teamers
Aceyalone and
Abstract Rude, Project Blowed runs the gamut of far-left indie hip-hop, from the bizarrely literal pimp rap of
Tray Loc's "Once Upon a Freak" to Figure Uv Speech's bluntly feminist and black nationalist "Don't Get It Twisted," a remarkably assured blend of jazz, poetry, spoken word, and hip-hop. Executive producer
Aceyalone makes his presence felt throughout, reuniting with
Freestyle Fellowship for the jazzy give and take of "Hot" and teaming with fellow A-Teamer
Abstract Rude for "Maskaraid Part 1 & 2," a characteristically ambitious and conceptual track abstractly criticizing hip-hop's propensity for posturing and role-playing. Project Blowed's lo-fi aesthetic and willingness to experiment may alienate even fans of like-minded but far slicker underground acts like
Mos Def,
De La Soul, and
Black Star. But for those tuned into
Aceyalone and company's bohemian, progressive take on hip-hop, Project Blowed is coffeehouse hip-hop at its finest. ~ Nathan Rabin