Zion I

Brainy Bay Area hip-hop group Zion I return with an album that finds the duo teaming up with Living Legends emcee Grouch. The album lacks the polish of their previous release, the excellent True and Livin', but the tossed-off vibe is charming and some of the album's best tracks are its most experimental. The slow, spacey churn of "Lift Me Up" sounds like soul psychedelia created by mermaids, "Hit 'Em" is reverb-laden hyphy and the inspirational "10 Pounds" deals with parenthood, hip-hop's third rail. Those who see hip-hop as an art form should enjoy this.