Ah, underground hip-hop. Only a few years ago, having the phrase attached to your music was somewhat like wearing a badge of honor.   However, those days are now a distant memory.  But the four man crew from Pittsburgh, Strict Flow, reps the banner proudly. 

Strict Flow’s debut, Without Further Ado, fits snuggly between Styles of Beyond and Jurassic 5, but of course with a little more “Steel City” east coast flavor. Mc’s Masai and Siad trade off verses quite nicely throughout giving out a vibe that re-invokes images of Project Blowed.  With there debut, Strict Flow definitely show what they are about (pure hip-hop) and it’s a refreshing change of pace to hear a group that doesn’t rely on a ton of guests, or superstar production from this weeks producers of choice. Without Further Ado is filled with beats from the group’s in house production team of Chad & Eric and beat-wise they rely on bare essentials while eschewing the popularized commercial sounds that emanate from P. Diddy’s studio. Tracks like “4-1″, “Too Much” and “Watchout” best display what these two cats do behind the boards. That isn’t to say that they didn’t get a little help, as both J. Sands and fellow PA beat maestro Chops of Mountain Bros. respectively add a little bit of musical heat on the tracks “Genuine Article” and “PA’s Finest.”

While Without Further Ado shows promise, it’s not without faults.  The relentlessness of their Indy sound does sometimes hit the wall.  And while Strict Flow exhibits the potential to push themselves further, exemplified by “Russian Roulette” where they deliver a nice message about safe sex, they too often rely on the braggadocios rhymes featured throughout the rest of their debut.

Bringing back the underground has been an anthem for many former backpackers. Hopefully groups like Strict Flow can egg this back and take Hip-hop back to the good old days of five years ago. If anything, Without Further Ado can be used as a conduit, just slip in the disc, and let them take you back to the days of strolling down the street with your walkman and oversized headphones.