INTENSE |The Bohemian Pimp Project | Defend Music

Hailing from Schoolz of Thought and the obscure (yet Roots-approved) 3 Nations in 1, Illadelph rapper Intense breaks out on his own with his solo debut, The Bohemian Pimp Project. Obviously, the first thing you’d ask is, “What’s a Bohemian Pimp?” Intense wastes no time in answering just that, kicking off the album with the tight opener “Bohemian Renaissance.” From the get-go, it’s clear Intense has the right stuff: with hardly any warm-up, his vocal delivery goes straight on point, and is backed by an equally proficient beat from the Beat Society’s Illmind. The sound is clearly reminiscent of classic mid-’90s hip-hop—the hook on “Force of Movement” plainly recalls The Roots’ “Next Movement,” while Intense’s choice of beats brings back a wandering bassline as creative as anything Ron Carter laid down for A Tribe Called Quest.

For all the Native Tongue influence, it’s hard to swallow the self-label of “Pimp,” however Bohemian it may be—from the depth of his rhymes, it’s clear Intense would be smart enough to avoid such a faux pas, despite his efforts to rationalize it.  It’d be a shame for potential fans to pass this one over without a deeper look, and there’s plenty Intense has to offer for higher-level hip-hop. By the time the excellent first single, “A Healthy Obsession,” drops late in the album, it’s hard not to be hooked. (BS)

LADY SOVEREIGN | Vertically Challenged | Chocolate Industries

A self-described “white midget,” UK’s grime queenie Lady Sovereign’s official US debut comes as an equally short 8-song EP, but don’t be fooled by their stature. Vertically Challenged is guaranteed to be humungous—despite being composed of a scant four original tracks and four remixes, this 35-minute ride hits a lot harder than most full-lengths.

Starting off with a one-two punch with back-to-back monster hits, Sovereign warms up with the jam “Random,” then drops a remix of her trademark “Ch-Ching.” If this is your first taste of Sovereign or grime in general, be prepared. Sovereign manically spits her lines with nonchalant ease between quick-dropped, trash-talk falsettos. Throughout it all, she’s given beats as gritty and belligerent as the newly-minted genre suggests, enough to inspire Beastie Boy Ad Rock to create his own drum-n-bass grime-take on a “smallstars” remix of “A Little Bit of Shhh.” (BS)

MARK O’CONNOR | Hot Swing Live in New York | Omac

Though he is also a Sony artist, multifaceted violinist Mark O’Connor has found success recently as an indie performer/producer via his own Omac label. He records in front of an audience that knows it’s participating in a live session. The results are musically energized, with often nearly immaculate sonics as in Hot Swing Live in New York.

A protege of jazz master Stephane Grappelli and old-time fiddler Benny Thomasson, O’Connor’s take on swing is at once retro and contemporary. Traditional covers from Ellington, Gershwin and “Fats” Waller swing freshly, and Ray Noble’s “Cherokee” features a breakneck virtuosity.

On the other hand, there’s the wailing blues of “Anniversary,” one of five tracks composed by O’Connor. Another is “Fiddler Going Home,” written in memory of legendary jazz violinist Claude “Fiddler” Williams, a lovingly sentimental slow waltz that owes its noble longing to the hills of Appalachia rather than the neon of New York.

Although the CD focuses on O’Connor’s violin, generous feature time is afforded Frank Vignola’s well-stenciled guitar and Jon Burr’s solo forays on bass. (MG)