Paris - Sonic Jihad - 4 out of 5 mics

By Konata Kemet, The Source

Hailing from the same Bay Area as the Black Panther Party, Paris released his debut album The Devil Made Me Do It in 1990. He stayed true to his roots with incendiary lyrics and Panther imagery. Three follow-up LPs saw Paris slip below the radar as major labels shied away from his controversial politics while Hip-Hop gave way to the glorification of violence, pimpology and mindless partying. Rather than fade into obscurity, Paris took a hiatus and formulated his counterattack on Hip-Hop's current state. The result? An indie label called Guerrilla Funk Recordings and his fifth album and call to action, Sonic Jihad.

Sonic Jihad is 16 tracks of deep basslines and P-Funk inspired melodies adding intensity to Paris's gravely baritone. It features collaborations with fellow revolutionaries Kam, Capelton, Dead Prez and Public Enemy. The latter two appear together on the remix of "Freedom," the dopest track on the LP. While Paris might lose some with his various conspiracy theories and heavy reliance on the G-Funk format pioneered by Dr. Dre, these are minor speed bumps in an otherwise compelling return to the golden era of phat beats with a message.