Some MCs talk about ‘taking it back’ and even more boast about ‘being on some next shit.’ Meanwhile the little known trio, The Others, have found the equilibrium right between these two ideologies. Don’t be fooled by their name–these Charlotte, North Carolina reps aren’t creating inaccessible music by any means. Following in the steps of their Carolina neighbors, Little Brother, The Others produce purely soulful and straightforward hip-hop.  On their new album, Past Futuristic, Mr. Mattic (MC), Johnny Madwreck (Producer/MC) and The Mighty DR (Producer/DJ), deliver cool, calm and collected flows, complimented by equally pleasing production for 2004 and beyond.

    Even without any hi-profile guest spots or hype, Past Futuristic may quite possibly be one of the biggest surprises in hip-hop this year. When listening to inviting tracks like “Flippin’ Rhymes” (featuring Supastition), you have to wonder why nobody put these cats on sooner. The soothing set of flute loops that Madwreck assembled here allows him and his crewmates to kick equally slick rhymes about how they first came to romance the mic. While The Others aren’t necessarily breaking new ground, their ability to deliver timeless hip-hop is what makes their sound so appealing. Take the blazing reggae-flavored “Amazing”, which instrumentally sounds reminiscent of the Beatminerz at their best and would have sounded as dope ten years ago as it would ten years from today. Lyrically, Mattic and Madwreck keeps thing clear-cut, conscious and upbeat. An element of their rhymes that makes their music so ageless is that they don’t touch too much on specific current events. Look at this as being no frills if you will, but their raps about perseverance make for some feel good listening. 

    All the crews out there like Little Brother and K-Otix who make gimmick free hip-hop so effortlessly can now welcome The Others to their ranks. On the their sophomore album The Others have placed one rock solid effort onto the market. Only time will tell how many heads will actually catch wind of what this virtually unheard of trio has accomplished. Don’t sleep.