Zion I is another great sound coming out of the Bay Area underground scene. This album easily falls into the rap sub-genre of "conscious/backpack hip-hop" but the beats are still catchy enough to grab the attention of the listener who is not that completely family with the sound coming from rap's underground movement.
The lyrics are thoughtful and expressive, but Zion I is not pushy about their message. While a group like Dead Prez call for revolution through over-throwing the current system with sometimes-flawed arguments, Zion I's message is a little more subtle. They seem to call for a positive change within yourself first before you can impose the change on others. In this sense, their message is somewhat similar to K-os. They are very much aware of the problems of society but are not brash enough to claim they know how to fix it themselves, the songs "LUV" and "Poems 4 Post Modern Decay" are the best examples of this.
The beats are an interesting mix of scratching and live intruments, resulting in a very expressive texture of sounds. Some of the instruments used are outright surprising, most notably a fiddle (I think) in "So Tall." A wide range of musical influences are apparent: from classic west-coast ("The Bay"), Jazz ("Doin' My Thang"), and the blues ("Oh Lawd Blues").
Finally, guest appearances by Talib Kweli (hopefully making up for the dissappointing "Beautiful Struggle"), Del, Gift of Gab, and Aesop Rock are very effective as they fit well within the framework of Zion I's sound.
Again, this album will most likely under most people's radar of mainstream hip-hop. Hopefully, it will somehow find its way to the ears of fans of creative and insightful hip-hop.
