Spring Break
The Knux help evolve hip-hop
Vanessa Johnson
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Features
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Hip-hop has been around for about 20 years and many artists have been looking for ways to make sounds appealing to different types of people. Artists want their music to attract every type of music listener to branch their musical art to an open public.
"Remind Me in Three Days" is an album that contains so many genres of music sounds. As a listener you are able to hear electric guitar and drums, usually associated with rock and roll, as well as techno sounds as though the song is straight out of the 80's.
The Knux is a hip-hop group from New Orleans. The group members are Al Millio and Krispy. They are brothers and use their music as a means to cope with different things in their lives.
Both of the artists experienced first hand the effects of hurricane Katrina and lost their home. They had to move to Houston, Texas, where they started to make their music.
Their album closely resembles the sounds of Outcast. You would think that most of their music would contain at least one instrument in each track that keeps the "theme" of the CD constant. However, each song has a new beat and sound to it that really makes you want to move. They use the guitar to add stronger sound to their music and the drums to give it a bump for dancing.
It is not just the beat of the music, but the catchy lyrics that the artists incorporate into their songs. Lyrics such as, "I don't know what's wrong with you, meet me in the powder room," may seem so simple, but I was seriously singing it in my head a good hour after I listened to the CD; it is a really catchy phrase and it rhymes. You totally would sing it too if you listened to the album.
Each track has a particular sound that adds to the lyrics. I would have to say my favorite tracks on the album would have to be "Daddy's Little Girl" and "Roxxanne."
"Daddy's Little Girl," uses the electric guitar and also harmony with the artists to make the chorus of the song really easy to remember. When I first heard "Roxxanne" I really felt as though I was at a live concert with speakers blazing in my ears.
The Knux is a great group and really expands the hip-hop sound to many genres. Their new album is unique and fun, and if you like Outcast, then you will love The Knux.
Vanessa Johnson can be reached at vjohnson@statehornet.com
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