PETE MISER
Radio Free Brooklyn (Ho-Made)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

---

In large part, what makes a hip hop record work - I mean really work - is the sense of identity it cultivates from within. A good record can be that much better if it feels, from the first cut to the last, like it has established itself as an event. Paul's Boutique had that rare zest and arguably, the coherent concept at work elevated it to the level of classic above other perhaps equally deft recordings.

In comes former Five Fingers of Funk front man and Portland, OR native Pete Miser with an east coast flavored bomb he calls Radio Free Brooklyn.

There are positive calls to Gotham throughout, fitting for an upbeat album whose title evokes the images of that most infamous borough. Like the Beasties and Run DMC who were champions of the cause before him, Miser allows his new home base to be his signature, leaving no mistake that it is a New York centric album. From the girls on the corner to political deliberation on post World Trade Center anxiety, becoming acquainted with this album might prepare the uninitiated for a stroll - day or night - down the avenue in Bed-Sty.

The audio qualities on Radio Free Brooklyn are dynamite, making it one of the most dense, complex hip hop records in recent memory. The bass is heavy where it needs to be, never once drowning samples or lyrics out of the mix. Miser cuts with an intricate, witty hand and will be a refreshing sound to fans of Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul who have found recent developments in the genre to be paltry at best. He's been toiling in obscurity for nearly two decades now, but this album might just be Miser's subway ticket to hip hop Shangri-la.

© 2003 - Erick Mertz