Mission: One

iTunes Review

Released in 2001, this album is the debut full-length from Mission:, now known as Crown City Rockers. While an EP in 1999 hinted at their potential for greatness, this is the record that really established them as a force to be reckoned with, overflowing with feel-good rap music, but avoiding the corny cliches that have doomed so many underground acts before them. Produced mostly by Woodstock and Headnodic, we get nearly 20 tracks of straight up "true school" hip-hop, loaded with jazzy riffs, neck-bending beats, and unrelentingly positive lyricism. Classically trained musicians, they compose truly unique and interesting songs that successfully balance originality with familiarity, unafraid to go off into meandering (in a good way) solos and vocal-less breakdowns. Raashan Ahmad does his thing on the mic while giving props to both the pioneers and next generation of this art form he so genuinely loves. The single "Contagious" and "Mission:2" are highlights, as is the super smooth instrumental jam "Last Night." If you long for the good ol' days of park jams and house parties, give this a listen post haste.