Rock and rap had largely forged an unholy alliance thanks to such clown acts as Limp Bizkit. But that’s changing with forward -thinking young groups like Gym Class Heroes and the most brilliant new hip-hop act of 2008, The Knux. Comprised of brothers Krispy Kream and Rah Al Millio, the sibling duo was born and raised in New Orleans but their sound, style and ethos have more in common with Atlanta stalwarts Outkast than anything to emerge from under the Cash Money umbrella. The Knux alternate between odes to everyday pleasures (“Cappuccino”) to the reality of living in a city as famous for its murder rate as it is for good times (“Bang! Bang!”). Those two songs are blowing up on MySpace thanks to their use of big beats, awesomely wacky synths and glossy guitars, the latter of which figure even more prominently on other numbers like “Roxanne” (no, it’s not a Police cover) and reportedly in the duo’s live shows, which featured a band when The Knux first created a buzz opening for Common in late 2007. When The Knux came through Florida recently and played Orlando, they supported Q-Tip. Yeah, Krispy Kream and Rah Al Millio are two extremely talented MCs/musicians who are smartly associating themselves with the upper crust of the old guard. (Interscope)
*** 1/2
This article appears in Dec 10-16, 2008.