New Kingdom
Hardcore hip hop duo from Brooklyn, New York, comprising rapper Nosaj (his real name Jason, backwards) and DJ Sebastian. Their debut single was Good Times, a rock hip hop crossover effort on Gee Street which used a sample of Joe Walsh (of James Gang )'s guitar playing and looped it. Their major influence is Curtis Mayfield, and their output reflects a good deal of his social vision. Good Times, for example, was written about their desire not to lose their appetite for life as they grow older. They take a full band on tour with them and have live skateboarding at their events, much in the mode of hardcore punk bands. There is certainly a 'cartoon' element to the band, their lyrics generally being abstract, non-linear collages. Their beats, however, are more restrained, as pointed out in the self-explanatory lyric: 'Pouring no lies, no suits, no ties, No need to rush, we love to fuck time'. A genuine return to the old school aural values, their debut album was produced by the band in conjunction with Scott Harding of the Lumberjacks.