“A loner. A stoner. A rebel. A pebble,” Psalm One

While NY and LA were busy whining about the southern takeover, Chicago crept in and swaggerjacked everybody. Kanye, Lupe, Rhymefest, and Consequence. The latest rapper from the Windy City probably has her eye on Lauryn Hill’s throne.

26-year old Psalm One (born Cristalle Bowen) is neither a putty-tang femcee with occasional flashes of brilliance a la Kim and Fox Boogie, nor an overhyped (albeit creative) purist a la Jean Grae. Still, I was initially skeptical, seeing as she had a couple of rap-chicks-suck-and-i’m-the-truth moments that almost made me cringe. Not that I have a problem with such statements, but because a sizeable portion of today’s hip-hop press detests artists who voice out against compacency (read: Soul Position, Little Brother, and The Roots).

Fortunately, there’s more to Psalm One’s music. A mesh of Chi-City soul and transparent storytelling that’s rare these days. No frills. No gimmicks. While she reminds me of Lauryn, her delivery is not as sharp as L’Boogie’s. But, whose is anyway?

Psalm One’s first full length, Biochemistry, which was later re-released as Biochemistry II: Esters and Essays, is a nod to her college degree in Chemistry. (Believe it or not, Chemistry pays her bills.)Her latest release, The Death of Frequent Flyer, dropped on July 18th, 2006. Check her out now. Thank me later.

Psalm One Audios
The Living
The Nine

Psalm One – Official Website
Psalm One – MySpace Page

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