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Liberator 6.2
Big Quarters
Cost of Living

Minneapolis-based duo of MC/producers Brandon Allday and Medium Zach offer a refreshing look at new school Hip-Hop, while not exactly reinventing the wheel--but that's what works. The duo's serious yet good-natured lyrics address their immediate environment: family, mixed cultural backgrounds, Latin identity, the good, the okay and the alright. With an innocence that's real and a hopeful spirit, the duo has the warmth and honesty of Little Brother and the rowdiness of The Beatnuts. Brandon Allday and Medium Zach are members of the production co-op Famfued, their organic production keeps things simple and clean in a Pete Rock head-snappin' type of way. Following all the basic rules--great beats, solid lyrics and a youthful energy--Big Quarters takes listeners on a journey that's intelligent without being corny. The funky horn-sampled banger "Everyday" includes a description of Minneapolis itself: "Home of brown babies and white mothers." Here Brandon Allday also breaks down his motivation "Slow my pace/hunger and devotion is what keeps me in shape," over soulful piano breaks. "How To Kill Your Rap Career" featuring I-Self Devine, is a cautionary manifesto on the inner workings of the rap game. On the rousing "Test," over its RZA-esque beat and clever scratching by DJ Noah the Drummer, Brandon Allday proclaims: "I don't identify with a lack of respect... / never call us wife beaters / never will... I'm no Alpha Male, alcoholic, chasing cattails." The emotionally personal statements of "Lou Diamonds," "Painkillers" and "Song For Brown Babies" show Native-Tongue like respect of family, friends and cultural pride. On their first full-length album, Big Quarters show the promise of a bright tomorrow. In a landscape of emo vs. backpackers, they dodge both and become themselves, part of Hip-Hop's new blood alongside Black Milk and Kidz In The Hall.
(Jon Jon Scott)