"MMC Noteworthy:The Hustle/tight guitar solo's"

MMC Noteworthy: The Hustle
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 11:58AM

Millennium Music Conference, Events by Justin Kunkel.
One of the more high-profile events at the 13th annual Millennium Conference is XPN's Funky Friday live broadcast. David Dye will be in the house at the Appalachian Brewing Company spinning all things funky, and when the broadcast ends at 9:00pm, the good people at XPN have provided a Philly indie hip-hop outfit called The Hustle to keep the party going. They seem as good a choice as any to get Spotobe's first nod as an MMC band worth checking out.

After listening to their EP 4,5,6, it's clear that The Hustle (click through to hear some tracks) have something interesting going on. Seriously, how many bands list "Bright Eyez" as an influence? The band combines hip-hop, soul, funk and indie-rock to create a product that is difficult to classify. A lazy comparison would be Philly live band hip-hop icons The Roots (at least until they agreed to become the studio band for Jimmy Fallon. Puke) but The Hustle's music has a stronger rock flavor. Not to mention the fact that many of The Hustle's songs feature sultry hooks sung by Nora Whittaker.

Kuf Knotz is the ringleader of The Hustle and delivers the rhymes. His delivery is varied, occasionally intentionally arrhythmic and it never gets tired. Still the lyrics of 4,5,6 aren’t its strongest point. The Hustle definitely views itself in the “socially conscious hip-hop” camp, and the themes that run through its music lyrically aren’t much different than anything you would find on a Mos Def or Common album. On one track, Knotz even breaks out the Fergie spelling bee trick, using phrases to spell out P-H-I-L-L-Y.

What you will find on 4,5,6 that you won’t find on your standard hip-hop album are tight guitar solos and the organic feeling that can only be created through a live band.

The Hustle has gotten most of its exposure thanks to the song “Run Wit Me,” but I’m not sure that “Philadelphia” isn’t a stronger track. It’s both a guidebook and a love letter to the city. “South Street in the Summer/ Parade with the Mummers/ West Philly Rastas, South Philly Hustlas, North Philly Drug Spots/ Anything under the sun you want they got/ believe me they got.”

This entry was posted by Justin Kunkel on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 11:58AM
- Justin Kunkel from Millennium Music