The Coup - Pick A Bigger Weapon

This months saw the release of the fifth album from The Coup, the first in about five years. I can't claim to have been a long time fan of this group, I was learning to read and write when they released their first album. But after reading an interview with frontman Boots Riley at Cocaine Blunts, and noticing how much of an intelligent yet fun loving man he is, I decided to give the new album a go. Generally I don't go for overly political hip-hop, I own a few Public Enemy albums but after listening to annoying ego maniacal rappers that think their generic ranting about how much of an asshole Bush is, when someone tells me that a rapper is "all about politics" I approach with a large amount of caution. Sorry but listening to Immortal Technique proclaim himself to be "the money and the message" (and you ain't got either/remember that) always brings on a strong cringe. However Boots has this political hip-hop game thoroughly figured. He keeps his message on a strong street level, using his experiences of how unpleasant living in run down areas can be to come off as man with something completely relevant and powerful to say.

In that interview I mentioned earlier he tells of how his parents used to hold political meetings in his house that would eventually turn in to parties. That memory clearly had a strong influence on this record as he never lets his message get in the way of the albums enjoyableness. Quite a fantastic combination, really. Potent and powerful with an incredible groove and decent flow. "Pick A Bigger Weapon" may just have surpassed Ghostface's new release as the most essential hip-hop record of the year.

The Coup - We Are The Ones
The Coup - Get That Monkey Off Your Back
The Coup with Black Thought and Talib Kweli - My Favorite Mutiny

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