Zion I Atomic Clock

Rapper Zumbi and producer Amp Live have made names for themselves outside of their work as Zion I, but it's together that they truly shine and display their greatest assets. Perhaps that's why they became such stalwarts in the hip-hop community, especially on the West Coast, where they call home. Sure, Amp Live's Radiohead remix project is solid as are the scattered solo cuts from Zumbi. But their work as Zion I trumps it all. Even on their sixth album, 2009's modestly received The Takeover, the duo displayed a knack for blending genres and treading new musical territory. Their willingness to branch out didn't suddenly fade as Zion I's seventh record, Atomic Clock, finds Zumbi spitting his most honest, emotional bars yet over reggae-influenced beats from Amp Live. And to fully flesh out the sound and give it the real dub feel, the producer opted to have a live band play most of his beats, even recreating some in the process.

Abstract by Andrew Martin