GIANT PANDA

'Electric Laser'

WHOO-HA! GP is back w/ a brand new joint y'all and it's a burner perfect for the Summertime. For those of you who haven't been long-time Dalek-Heads, their phenomenal debut album, 'Fly School Reunion', nabbed the top spot on my 2005 Top 10 list. I seriously love these guys...listening to a Giant Panda album is like taking a trip to the old school w/ a def new mix tape in your gold(en era) backpack. This is party rockin' w/ a conscience and a sound that embodies everything I love about hip-hop.

'Electric Laser' hooked me from the intro w/ samples from 'Real Genius' and 'Tron' floating in and out of tripped out laser-like synths...until breakin' out into the seriously funky posse cut 'Justin Case'. They throw down w/ a decidedly So-Cal thumper perfect for those who like to let the Alpines in the trunk go to 11 on the first single 'Speakers Pop'. They bring some serious boom-bip on the Superhero flavored 'Laser Ray' and DJ/MC Chikaramanga drops some serious electro-Japanese science on 'Precise Calculator'. Finally, they go out w/ a track sure to get people on the floor w/ the serious head-bobber 'Speakers Funk'...further winning me over by name checking Fu-Schnickens in the process.

While the top priority of this album is having fun (the hilarious 'CinemaX' is the funniest take on New Edition-esque sex rhyme since the Beastie Boys recorded 'Boomin' Granny'), the Giant Panda crew throw some serious jabs at prejudice as well. Never overtly preachy about racism, but the sheer Rainbow Coalition-ness of Newman (White), Maanumental (Black) and Chikaramanga (Asian) makes for a great message on how much a non-factor the color of your skin should be in hip-hop and, more importantly, beyond. Even cooler, the track 'Pops' tackles the homophobia found in a lot of mainstream rap w/ a shout-out to one of the members gay Father...bold shit for the genre.

'Electric Laser' dropped just two days ago on indie-label TRES Records...you may have a hard time finding it in store, but it's up on iTunes as well. Either way, I implore you to support these cats keepin' funky backpackin' shit that white suburban hipster doofs like me eat up w/ a spoon alive. Speaking of spoons, take a taste of the mad flavor in the sample area and act like you know!