Reviews:: HERO - The HERO LP

I haven't been reviewing as many hip hop albums as I would like of late, but I'll be honest, I haven't had a ton of quality ones sent my way. But HERO's debut album, uhhh, HERO caught my attention mainly due to the fact that their name is HERO. HERO. Herohill. See the connection! Anyway, their clever name lured me in, and I was digging their soulful vibe, so I endeavored to find out more about this Brooklyn twosome.

It turns out HERO is comprised of MC E-Dot and producer/singer Darp Malone. They appear to represent Brooklyn as I mentioned, but after looking into them for a minute, I realized that Darp is from Toronto and E-Dot is originally from Edmonton. So doing this review not only helps promote all things heroriffic, but it also helps support Canadian hip hop, which I am always down for. A win-win so to speak.

But this review isn't solely being done on semi-humourous premises alone, as HERO has a very appealing, very soulful sound. Producer Darp Malone mixes solid drum tracks with keys and live instruments to create some very lush tracks that manage to keep a hip hop essence at their core. E-Dot is a skilled MC, he reminds me of someone like J-Live, able to write insightful lyrics about "real world" issues like relationships, going to war, and the ills of modern society, but doing it with a flair that always keeps things interesting. Together they make a good team, as Darp's sing-song flow and straight-ahead soul vocals mesh very naturally with E's vocals, it never feels forced.

Things get off to a good start, as the first song Mogadishu is my favorite. It's kind of a "Why are we fighting?" anthem over a bouncy combination of handclaps and guitar strums. It's a very catchy song. Trust is a very solid hip hop relationship/love song that has a real Roots-esque vibe. They Don't Care is full of smart social commentary and it features the always-solid Wordsworth. It has a dense beat, sounds like something the Bomb Squad might cook up as their take on a modern soul beat. On My Side is another of my favorite tracks, with a mix of bassy synths, huge drums and bongos, it opens with Darp singing before E-Dot comes in with a solid verse.

So there you have it, if you're in the market for some mature, soulful hip hop, I'd give HERO a go. For now you can check out the first single Mogadishu and its accompanying video below.

MP3:: HERO - Mogadishu
MP3:: HERO - Be Aware

Video:: HERO - Mogadishu