Constantly bombarded with what every artist/manager/publicist hopes is the next thing, I’m always looking for and listening to a healthy dose of boom-bap that may not agree with everyone’s tastes. But I think anyone who listened to Diamond District’s In The Ruff last year will cosign how thorough it was. Right on the heels of the group’s critical acclaim, one part of the DD team, yU, has released his solo effort, Before Taxes, and it’s ripe with similar sound patterns but perhaps more gritty & conscious lyrics.

“I sing a song of truth, courage, and respect/Jumping out there like Geronimo, we stand up for that/And our plan of attack is straight Cherokee strategy/You can kill me, but you cannot kill my legacy…”

When I listen, I don’t hear “what’s next” when he rhymes. Instead, there’s traces of “what was” and that is well-crafted rhymes, founded on some semblance of intellect.

yU of Diamond District – “Native” | Download

Cop Before Taxes @ iTunes