Isis - Rebel Soul mp3 album

Surprisingly great overlooked debut (and only album under this name; she has others under Lin Que) from Isis, member of the Blackwatch Movement and co-warrior of the mighty X-Clan. If you're a fan of the two X-Clan albums and wishing that the original four members had made more music, do yourself a favor and give this a listen. It's nearly entirely produced by the same four responsible for the genius that is "To The East, Blackwards", and Professor X does his trademark "Sisssssssyyyy" proclamations all over the songs. Also, Trouble Funk has their foot in the door here, too, adding percussion, songwriting, vocals, and some production duties. Stereo MC's, 4th & B'way labelmates, mix the oddball hip-house song "The House of Isis". As for the substance of the album, seven of the ten songs are strong X-Clan-ish backing tracks, really deep funk and disco grooves thoughtfully looped, nice beats, not at all far off from what made the X-Clan releases of this year excellent. Three of the ten songs are hip-house which is somewhat less successful. Isis' fast-paced semi-militant afrocentric style is hard hitting and lyric-driven, excellent for the seven straight-up hip hop tracks. At times she spits a bit like a female Chuck D(!). However, her style makes her not ideally suited for being dropped on top of the spacious housey beats. It actually works to some degree on the aforementioned "The House of Isis", mostly because it's sort of a mutant house style, not really at all like most hip-house tracks of that era. In the end: very solid release, but I wish they'd left off the "Face the Bass" and "Hail the Words of Isis" hip-house tracks. Still, if you like old X-Clan, get this.