O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack) People Under the Stairs Artist

It's hard not to appreciate what {|People Under the Stairs|} are trying to accomplish with their third full-length. Fortunately, the attempt (i.e., the finished product) works just as well in practice as in theory. Although there could be a little more variety from track to track, this is one fun and funky record. There's a democratic, stylistic purity to {|O.S.T.|} -- hence the title -- that is wholly consistent with its predecessors. As {|Thes One|} explains in the liner notes, it's an album that is made up of old records and personal experiences -- no more, no less. Both {|One|} and {|Double K|} serve as MCs and DJs and think of themselves more as B-boys than artists or musicians. They eschew live instrumentation (with the exception of the bass on {|The Breakdown|}) and rely instead on their distinctive, loose-limbed {|raps|}; deep, diverse record collections; and mad turntable skills. Consequently, the Los Angeles duo has been compared more often to the {|underground hip-hop|} combos of the 1980s and 1990s, like {|the Pharcyde|} and {|Freestyle Fellowship|}, than to their contemporaries of the 2000s. The best example of their no-frills approach comes to fruition on the horn-blasted party anthem {|Hang Loose,|} a cross between {|Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five|} and {|Poor Righteous Teachers|} (and in which they compare themselves to {|Kool & the Gang|}). Laid-back grooves and shout-outs to 1970s TV shows (like {|Scooby Doo|}), cold beverages (Long Island iced teas), and tasty treats (fish and chips) make {|O.S.T.|} one of the more enjoyable {|hip-hop|} releases of 2002. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy