A two-man Seattle crew, Common Market are RA Scion on the mic and Sabzi (best known for his work with Blue Scholars) on production. Clearly influenced by "conscious rap" greats like Black Star, as well as fellow Pacific Northwest cats Lightheaded, they serve up refreshingly positive hip-hop, overflowing with intelligent and thought-provoking lyrics and set to consistently funky, sample-saturated production, heavy on the boom-bap and jazzed-out loops. They released two EPs and two full-lengths (plus one digi-only project) between 2005 and 2009, earning a loyal and passionate fanbase with their down-to-earth steez and always-on-point tracks. There are a few guest spots here (from Chev, Geologic, and Funklove), but for the most part it's just Scion and Sabzi; they sound like they were born to work together. Don't miss the vibraphone-propelled "Slow Cure," the guitar-laced "House," and the neckbending sing-along "Nothin' at All."