Black Saturday

Prince Ali – Corner Ensemble
No production information provided

With the emergence of the Bay Area’s unique Hyphy sound into the musical spotlight, more national attention has been granted to the local scene. From Sacramento to San Jose, artists are gaining recognition – Prince Ali out of Hayward is no exception with the release of his debut full length. However this is no standard Hyphy disc. Prince Ali rhymes over a ‘70s contemporary acid jazz throwback sound with energy and precision, deserving of the same attention as his Northern California brethren.
With production and instrumentation by Los Angeles based group The Destruments, this album veers away from standard electronic beat box production and breathes organic life onto the scene. Proof lies in the fact that not one turntable scratch can be heard on the entire album. Instead live drum kit riffs, bongo beats, smooth synthesizers and horn melodies create a full sound in a manner similar to The Roots or A Tribe Called Quest live.
A more laidback SoCal feel compliments Prince Ali’s Mos Def-reminiscent tenor and semi-political voice. On his more mellow tracks, a neck-cracker or purple-smoker beat from local independent producers, CHIII, Skavenger, J2, Sir Monocle Watson, Roy Butterfields Project, and Big North and MC contributions by Israh of Essenes, Faraz Sahib of Pacific Sonz, Van Hunt, Malik, and J2 round out Ali’s sound without once feeling intrusive. High profile guest vocals from Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Opio of Hieroglyphics, and the mainstay of underground hip-hop Defari prove Prince Ali is working hard in the game and isn’t going anywhere soon. He has already been spotted rocking local live shows with The Destruments and opening for top acts like Kool Keith and Hi-Tek. In addition, Corner Ensemble will be released on Ali’s own Eye5 Recordings label.
Time will tell where Prince Ali’s music takes listeners – as of now his sound locks down what few other artists have dared to explore. A bit more recognition and Prince Ali will remind the nationwide hip-hop audience that there was a time before Hyphy in Northern California. (Eye5 Recordings)
eye5recordings.com
-Grant Inaba

Originally published in PERFORMER MAGAZINE, January 2007 Issue.