Taking a thematic cue from rapper KRS-1, Canada's
Shades of Culture made their debut with
Mindstate, a concept album emphasizing cultural unity and the power of knowledge over defeatism. Stunning verbal dexterity and penetrating beats on tracks such as the cautionary "Think Twice," and the motivational "Main Objective" present an antithesis to popular gangsta rap. On the whole, this makes for an uplifting, lyrically vibrant offering that employs turntable scratching and human beat box techniques laid over a foundation of rich instrumentation.
Mindstate conforms to all the traditions of old school rap while simultaneously making a successful appeal to the more progressive branch of the genre. ~ Roxanne Blanford