Fresh Rap From Self Scientific Shuns Message of Violence

*** SELF SCIENTIFIC

“The Self Science”

SOL/Landspeed

Despite the success of such veterans as Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, new gangster rap acts have been the exception rather than the rule for California rappers recently. In their place are acts with diverse, wide-ranging themes, and one of the most promising of the new crop of non-gangster acts is Self Scientific, whose strong debut album is due in stores Tuesday. Made up of rapper Chase Infinite and producer DJ Khalil, the group maintains a hard-core stance, but its lyrical mission is the empowerment of the black community, not sensationalized tales of violence and sex.

On the determined-sounding “The Covenant,” Chase, whose commanding voice and straightforward delivery are an appealing combination, laments feeling as if he needs to wear a bulletproof vest to feel safe. Khalil assembles a string of choice, drum-driven beats throughout the album, incorporating stirring guitars and bizarre effects that sound as fresh as anything heard from hip-hop in the last several months. Shunning the keyboards normally associated with the West Coast sound, Khalil creates stellar concoctions that make every track an engaging aural experience.

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