Marcos Franca Um Cavaco No Frevo CD - Import

Attracted to hip-hop since the age of 10, the New Jersey native equates hip-hop to jazz. "I use words like an instrument," Hasan explains. "There's a build up in emotion and a climax you can feel." Smashing stereotypes and mediocre emcees, he delivers socially aware raps with an undeniable, bassy voice with grit. With his first independent release, Paradise Lost, Hasan asserts his message is one of total freedom despite hardship. How so?"I prefer not to deal with labels because then you put yourself in a box, dictating what people expect to hear," says 24 year-old Hasan. With versatility and consistency, he speaks in a way all walks of life can appreciate, addressing issues and emotions many emcees are scared to touch or can't articulate. Using music as a platform for positive social change, he has also performed all over the East Coast including nationally aired performances on NBC's "Showtime at the Apollo", FUSE TV's "Digital Downloads", MUN2 TV's "The Roof", Music Plus TV, and at the Anti-War Rally March on C-SPAN. Gaining exposure in the underground, Hasan eventually edged forward opening performances for the legendary Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, Curtis Blow, Wyclef, Naughty by Nature, Busta Rhymes, Black Moon, Floetry, Common, and dead prez. But don't call him a conscious rapper."My music is my therapy that allows me to confront various issues in life, oppression, relationships, and certain trials and tribulations I've experienced that I want to share with the world," Hasan says. "Not because I'm perfect but because I'm human." On conceptually driven tracks like "Fountain of Youth," Hasan displays his knack for storytelling while delving into societal issues. And on "Diaspora" and "Boom Bap" he etches his name and his purpose into the minds of his listeners with candid lyricism and insight.

Almost entirely acoustic, this album has a much more pastoral feel, a more organic sound, Gone are the soaring synthesizers of "Kingdom of Benevolent Strangers", replaced with the delicate interplay of cello and pipa. It is as if the rustling of leaves and the whisper of the wind have substituted for the urban cry, Likewise, a serene inner strength has supplanted the power and fury of the live CD. One other divergence of note, unlike the prior primarily vocal albums, eight of these eleven tracks are instrumental.

What has been carried forward on this incredible journey? The same outstanding musicianship of five talented players. The same blending of East and West (a touch more East, this time around). The complex rhythms and the effortless way in which the band handles them. And of course, LinDi's song writing genius. There is a genuine depth to her writing that goes beyond ordinary talent. The songs seem to come alive in your ear,, telling heroic tales of triumph and failure, conjuring stunning imagery of fantastic scenes, bringing messages of hope and forlorn desperation. Some songs are so poignant, they seem not to be written at all, rather shed like tears. These are the type of songs that come unbidden to mind in the checkout line or the stop light. Not only the beautiful melodies, but the entire magical atmosphere. That is truly something special.