| Uillean piper, tin whistler and rapper Seanchai has
created a true hey you got your ganga in my guinness fusion.
A blunt Irish American ex-cop and co-founder of black 47,
Seanchai (A.K.A. Chris Byrne) has integrated the reggae and
Hip-Hop from his Brooklyn environs into Irish Folk styling
crafting a Celtic reinterpretation of American black music.
The Brits have done this for decades, "twist and shout"
being an enduring example, and here in the --90's Irish
music has rap to bring to the table. But where Seanchai
& the Unity Squad differ from Black 47 is in their
non-reliance on Irish songs. Rebel Hip-Hop has Irish styling,
but the songs are lyric-intensive rhythm-buster-incisive and
unrepentantly politics. Yet free from the rigid,
self-policing coldness typical of rap.
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| This disk is
refreshing for reasons besides its rejection of vengeful
posturing: It has seemingly limitless well doing a ballsy
hip-hop cover of the Beach Boys white-boys utopia in "Do It
Again" as they are in their loungey raccoon lodge take on
"Da Hucklebuck" (That's right, think Ralph and Ed).
One
highlight among many is Rachel Fitzgerald singing like an
avenging angle on Laibi Siffre's freedom anthem, "Something
so Strong". What truly sets Rebel hip-hop apart from others
in this league is its compactness-there isn't a trace of
filler anywhere.
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