Brooklynati

Photographer: Robert Adam Mayer .
Unknown Contributor Roles: Carlitta Durand; BOSCO ; Peter Hadar.
The three-man group formed in cyberspace return with their stellar second full-length effort, the conceptual BROOKLYNATI. Inspired by Prince Paul's off-beat concept work with De La Soul, Von Pea, Ilyas, and Donwill paint a musical portrait of their fictitious hometown--a city where Yancey Park is the spot for summertime barbecues, neighborhood storeowner DJ Jerks is struggling to save his own "Jerks Records," and the Hardcore Gentleman, a rap act from the early-1990s, are forever reliving their one-hit wonder glory days. Intelligent wordplay and next-level production (from Brick Beats, Aeon, and Von Pea) make BROOKLYNATI a strong candidate for tightest hip-hop album of 2009.