This is the best music you aren’t listening to right now. How do I know you’re not listening to it? Because you’re still listening to the new New Kids on the Block comeback song. Turn it off now and turn on Santogold.

Take one part reggae, one part punk, one part dub, one part Gwen Stefani, two parts MIA, and a lot of Brooklyn attitude and you’ve got Santogold. With lyrics like “we think you’re a joke, shove your hope where it don’t shine” and “Me I’m a creator. Thrill is to make it up. The rules all break on me…” you know this is gonna be good, and not the same old, same old BS Clear Channel is pumping out. Santogold is Brooklyn-native Santi White. She crosses almost every music genre (except country thankfully) and successfully blends it together on her debut CD. It’s jazzy. It’s funky. It’s rasta. It’s classy. It’s hip hop. Unlike her contemporaries, Santogold doesn’t muse about bling, brands or cars. Rather, she calls it like she sees it and sticks to what she knows which is an artist’s expression of her world through lyrics.

So why should you be listening to this now? (other than the fact that it’s and honest, genuine, unique musical release in a world of remixed, overmixed, sampled music). It’s a great summer cd. There are tracks perfect for sitting on the front porch with a cold one (LES Artists, My Superman, Lights Out). Then, there are the customary “get your ass up and dance” tracks (Creator, You’ll find a way). And then there are those tracks that you know are going to go over incredibly well when you see her at one of the many music festivals this summer (Shove It, Unstoppable). Give yourself and afternoon with Santogold. I think you’ll find you might be friends.

- Sarah

more info: myspace.com/santogold

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