Search - Coolbone :: Brass-Hop

Something completely different...

Dokter Pogo | New Orleans | 02/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw these guys on Louisiana Jukebox one night while suffereing from insomnia, and I'm glad that I was awake. 100% ORIGINAL N'Awlins funk. These guys have crafted the New Orleans sound into something so unique that it can't be touched. In a way, I wish there were more bands like this out there...but then again, let's leave it to the fellas that do it right the first time.
For those of you that don't know what Brass Hop is, it's like this. Take a funky hip hop track, and replace the bass with a tuba (or is it a sousaphone?). Take that keyboard track out and toss in some trombones. Then get rid of the rest of the sound effects that every rap artist uses these days, and add some trumpet. Now start rapping about REAL stuff, not all about rims and guns. You're getting the idea now...but you have to sprinkle dust from the streets of New Orleans all over it, or it won't have that distinct NOLA flavor. Don't worry, it's easy to digest, and it goes down real smooth. These are true New Orleans musicians that deserve worldwide recognition. Peace."

Brass-Hop's for real

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 08/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While most musicians just recycle and re-recycle the same old paradigms, something fresh does comes along every now and then. Meet Coolbone. This band combines hip-hop with New Orleans style jazz. It's like the ReBirth Brass Band meets Us3. Unlike most hip-hop, this music feels organic. While Brass-Hop employs electronic drums and an occasional background loop, this music feels like it was played in real time by actual musicians. Granted, there are a few moments when the brass sounds a bit like a high school marching band, but those times are few and far between. Aside from the originality of the project, the song writing is strong. The content is Afrocentric and socially conscious. Many tracks are filled with catchy hooks. The chorus for 'I Ain't Got None' is the Jefferson's "We're movin' on up" while 'Float Like A Butterfly' repeats Muhammad Ali's famous line. 'The Saints' is Coolbone's swingin' version of 'When the Saints Go Marchin' In.' This album is on a similar footing with Us3's "Hand on the Torch" -another 1990's jazz/hip-hop crossover. At the time of review, the potential listener could pick-up a dozen copies of this unappreciated gem for under a buck. Go for it!"