Unity: Audio Veve Part 1
In the 1960s, Oakland, CA was home to some of the most socially and politically active bands like Sly and the Family Stone and Cold Blood. Since that time, the bay area’s political music has evolved from funk to hip hop with artists like Zion I leading the way. The latest artist cut from this cloth is Unity. His debut EP is Audio Veve Part I.
For a debut EP, Audio Veve manages to be pretty star-studded. The EP packs a punch with guest spots from artists like Stic.Man from Dead Prez, Umar Bin Hassan, and Ms. Marvaless. While that guest list is impressive for a six song EP, it does not mention that the entire album is produced by Organized Elements.
Organized Elements production gives the EP an old school gangsta rap feel. I listen to tracks like “Let’s Ride” and the beat reminds me of Biggie‘s “Notorious Thugs.” Unity’s verse on the track stylistically has a little hyphy influence to it. Lyrically, Unity is talking about obtaining higher consciousness than wearing grills and being so obsessed with money. The message is a refreshing one but an unexpected one for a track called “Let’s Ride.”
Ultimately, the EP is a nice introduction to Unity. Hip hop is not a genre that generally embraces the EP format but it is not for good reason. Hip hop albums generally contain an inordinate amount of filler and mediocre tracks. On Audio Veve, Unity really focuses his effort on fewer tracks and it pays off.
Rating: 8.3/10
MP3: Unity featuring Stic.Man “Let’s Ride”
Buy: iTunes
Unity: Audio Veve Part 1
