Finally, a resurrection for the dying state of hip-hop!
Lifesavas has restored the true conscious feeling that has slowly evaporated from the music we hear in heavy rotation on the radio. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, widely known as Razorblade City to its natives, the duo composed of Jumbo the Garbageman, who serves as the producer/emcee, and Vursatyl, the emcee, are not afraid to go outside the "commercial safety selling zone" of detrimental verses to create positive rhymes. Proclaiming, "they chose to be a prophet over profit."
With the release of their second album, Gutterfly, Lifesavas choice of beats have a 70s funk that makes you want to get a game of dominoes going under the shade tree at a family barbeque. The arrangement of sounds resembles samples of the funkmaster himself, George Clinton, who is also featured on "Night Out." While listening to Gutterfly, it seems as though Jumbo is creating an instrumental battle behind the lyrics. A fierce battle with multiple opponents, including the trombone verses the trumpet, while the drums are smoothly beating through the keys.
Lifesavas lyrics are so versatile, you need a cipher to figure them out: "That's why we salt each other / got high blood pressure." It's no question why so many have compared their lyrical approach to A Tribe Called Quest. Lifesavas takes you on a mental journey through politics, referring to the War in Iraq as "senseless killing," and reminding the righteous mind you can't hustle heaven on "Double Up." The flexibility continues on "Shine Language," with topics pertaining to snitches and the codes of the streets, lusting for women, social concerns and empowering the youth to not be afraid of being different. Throughout the album they're many spiritual references. On "Take Away" they state, "saying we all trying to find God / but why / he ain't hiding."
Even though Lifesavas set the tone of Gutterfly before the first track ends, they seal it with the illest track on the album, "Freedom Walk," letting everyone know the struggle is not over and we must demand our freedom while society tries to keep it locked away. Lifesavas use the track to politely criticize the "so-called" black leaders and challenge them to walk the talk and take action instead of constantly pointing their fingers at the problem. The track ultimately refers to the judicial system's incarceration of innocent black men as a black genocide.
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