U-N-I
Fried Chicken and Watermelon
(self-released, 2007)
If you played this album for a friend with out telling them who it was they could easily mistake the music for that of Common, Talib Kweli, Kanye West (without as much narcissism), Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, etc. Even though they claim Inglewood and LA I couldn’t hear this coming from Stones Throw’s catalog or Dre’s studio. They have a far more Chicago-an or New York-ish sound that they almost never stray from.
On the strange event that the album does move past said styles, producer Dibiase gives them a sound of interesting, more electronically tweaked hip hop that I wish carried throughout more of Fried Chicken & Watermelon. Instead, merely 3 of 14 tracks feature this talented producer weaving fresh beats through their standard “we are this, we aren’t that” lyrical approach.
If U-N-I had a big name repping them or were given a guest verse on another album, I’m sure they’d blow up for atleast a single or two. Before getting that far down the rabbit hole they need to decide what their tracks should sound like.
