The Perceptionists

Indie hip-hop, like most established music genres, has its own formalist traditions. The Perceptionists, a supergroup comprised of MCs Mr. Lif and Akrobatik and DJ/producer Fakts One, stick to those rules on Black Dialogue, reliably churning out a love song ("Love Letters"), the reg'lar-people/work-sucks track ("5 O'Clock"), and other stock...

By Mosi Reeves

April 7, 2005

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Indie hip-hop, like most established music genres, has its own formalist traditions. The Perceptionists, a supergroup comprised of MCs Mr. Lif and Akrobatik and DJ/producer Fakts One, stick to those rules on Black Dialogue, reliably churning out a love song ("Love Letters"), the reg'lar-people/work-sucks track ("5 O'Clock"), and other stock topics in the rap album lexicon. Thankfully Mr. Lif and Akrobatik are slick and charismatic pros, and their lyrical take on tracks such as "Memorial Day," a cut told from the point of view of a U.S. soldier in Iraq ("Where are the weapons of mass destruction?" goes the chorus), livens up what could have been an ordinary and predictable affair.

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