Carne Masada: Quite Possibly the Best of Hip Hop Hoodios [PA] (CD - 2009)

Hip Hop Hoodios: Josh Norek (vocals, bass guitar); Kemo the Blaxican (vocals); Frank London (trumpet); Happy Sanchez, Federico Fong (bass guitar); Josh Noriega, Abraham Velez.

Personnel: Wil-Dog Abers (vocals, bass guitar).

Hip-hop has enjoyed Latino and Jewish participation for a long time. In 1981, the Mean Machine's groundbreaking "Disco Dreams" became the first hip-hop single to include some rapping en español -- and a few years later, the Beastie Boys made the transition from punk band to rap trio. The Beasties didn't spend a lot of time discussing their Jewish heritage -- the very fact that they were the first all-white rap group was enough of an attention-getter at the time -- but even so, they inspired a lot of kids with names like Goldberg, Goodman, and Rosenstein (and for that matter, non-Jewish whites) to take up rapping just as the Mean Machine helped pave the way for MCs with names like Lopez, Vega, Hernández, and Delgado. The number of Latino and Jewish MCs has grown exponentially since the 1980s (especially Latino MCs), but rarely does one come across a rap group that has both Latino and Jewish appeal. Nonetheless, Albany's bilingual Hip Hop Hoodios do, in fact, offer a seamless blend of alternative rap, klezmer, and Latin music on Carne Masada: Quite Possibly the Best of Hip Hop Hoodios. This best-of collection (which is dominated by previously released material but also contains five new tracks) doesn't draw on one type of Latin music exclusively; everything from salsa to cumbia to reggaeton is part of the equation, and the Jewish influence always asserts itself to some degree both musically and lyrically. The Hoodios' lyrics are genuinely clever on infectious tunes like "Nose Jobs," "Aqua Pa' la Gente" (Water for the People), and "Hoodia Para Mi," all of which contain some Beasties influence (Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head more than Licensed to Ill) but without actually emulating them. Besides, the Beasties never made either klezmer or música latina an integral part of their sound the way that the Hoodios have. The Hoodios are distinctive and genuinely original, and this excellent 59-minute CD is the most appropriate starting point if one is getting into their work for the first time. ~ Alex Henderson minimize