Underground hip-hop at its extreme finest

The world of underground hip-hop is difficult for outsiders to fathom. Not only does it sound intentionally odd -- underground rappers tend to rap wildly out of time with minimal beats -- but its exact purpose is open to question. It claims to stand in opposition to mainstream rap, a sub-genre interested not in money but in artistry. \nBrooklyn-based DJ Dangermouse and emcee Jemini are a more complex proposition. Their recent album is curiously missing the arrhythmic rapping and strange musical backgrounds favored by their underground colleagues. Instead, it boasts R&B influences, steamrolling beats and intelligent rhymes that on more than one occasion criticize the situation in Iraq. This is underground hip-hop simply because it has yet to be recognized by the mainstream.\nGravitating around the Ghetto Pop Life nucleus is an impressive collection of talents, from West Coast trio Tha Liks, formerly Tha Alkaholiks, and The Pharcyde to Organized Konfusion's Prince Poetry and New York-based J-Zone all providing some extra lyrical textures. With this first collaboration, Dangermouse and Jemini offer an interesting take on hip-hop, classic and modern, and produce a very exhilarating album. Their unique blend of sounds and rhymes is essential, whether you're into hip-hop or not.