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NORTHERN STATE
Hip Hop You Haven't Heard
Northern State
On a four-song ep they thought was a demo, the three Long Islanders
who comprise Northern State are everything you want underground
hip-hop to be, everything you want white hip-hop to be and everything
you want female hip-hop to be. They're DIY as all get-out without
hinting at underground puritanism, and they front musicians who know
their beats. They honor their black elders while referencing a culture
that also includes Sylvia Plath, Dorothy Parker, softball, eggplant
skinning and Beverly Hills 90210. They're pro-choice and say so, but
they also boast about keeping their lips together and their teeth
apart. DJ Sprout, Guinea Love and the angular-voiced Hesta Prynn rap
with LL Cool J clarity over well-conceived beats and samples that will
gain complexity after a record company throws money. Their meters will
get trickier, too. There are no sure shots anymore, and maybe they'll
prove too smart for the marketers. But they're certain to get their
run.
Rolling Stone, Aug. 22, 2002
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