Pop Music Review : Blood of Abraham Goes Beyond Shtick

Owing more to such angry rappers as Eazy-E (the executive producer of its debut album) than prototypal Jewish rappers the Beastie Boys, Blood of Abraham boldly takes Jewish rap beyond the realm of shtick with serious lyrics attacking prejudice and anti-Semitism.

In a dynamic show on Saturday at the Troubadour, the L.A. group proved to be a credible hip-hop act, even if it distinguished itself more for its lyrical perspective than its mostly hard-core beats. While the message was always effectively delivered by rappers Mazik and Benyad, the backing beats ranged from jazzy and innovative to uninspired.

The Bay Area post-punk band Overwhelming Colorfast preceded Blood of Abraham, bringing a distortion-heavy, twin-guitar attack to a set of well-written pop songs. At times reminiscent of Minnesota punk trailblazers Husker Du, the band never let its songs lose their energy and impact, even as it embedded them in layers of swirling, almost psychedelic guitar noise.

The most exciting moment of the show came when the group’s guitarists and bassist joined Blood of Abraham for a jam that started with the anti-racism rant “Southern Comfort.” The guitars seemed to inspire Blood of Abraham, finally making its music as fresh as its perspective.