Band Review STRANGE FRUIT PROJECT riyl: the roots, jurassic 5, blackalicious words: jordan davidoff / photo: michael tnasuttimonkol

To many hip-hop fans, Texas’ rap scene is centered around candy-painted cars and iced-out grills. While many Texans have embraced screwed-and-chopped tunes (along with its extravagant lifestyle), a Texas trio of hip-hoppers is proving that the Lone Star State has much more to offer than a few cups of “purple drank.”


Enter the Strange Fruit Project. With parts based in both Waco and Dallas, the group – S1, Myth and Myone – have recently made an impressive splash in underground hip-hop circles with their acclaimed release The Healing (Om Records), a refreshing set of old-school rhymes that’s a far cry from the H-Town sounds of Mike Jones and Chamillionaire.
With “boom-bap” beats reminiscent of the Native Tongues movement of the early ‘90s (A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul), SFP spits positive messages throughout (ITAL)The Healing and strays away from the material rhymes usually heard on mainstream hip-hop radio stations.
The new album has a variety of renown guests, most notably Dallas native Erykah Badu. The group said that the collaboration was put together by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson of The Roots, a huge fan of both parties.
“He’s the reason Erykah made it onto the album,” Myone said. “His ear for music is on another level, and he really pushed for us to get together because of our Texas connection, and we’re blessed to have her on the album.”
The collaboration, titled “Get Live,” is a feel-good anthem with a beat more quick than most Texas-based hip-hop. While the group loves “Screw” music just as much as the next Texan, SFP wants to let the national audience know that Lone Star hip-hop is not limited to the narrow-minded, materialistic styles as it is often portrayed to be.
“We have no problem with that kind of music,” Myth said. “That sound has always been there, so it overshadows everything. We just try to create a balance and show another side of Texas.”
SFP is very pleased with the album’s initial reception. The Healing has been hailed with wide critical acclaim since its release and even rose into the top ten of iTunes’ hip-hop album charts, a rare milestone for an independent act.
“Feedback is all that we wanted,” S1 said. “We got it and are very happy with what we’ve heard.”
SFP hasn’t been back home in Texas since a recent promotional tour in August and will be off to Europe to spread their hip-hop gospel for most of the Fall. The group members collectively agreed, though, that there’s always a place to hang their hat in Texas.
“We love coming back to Texas as much as we can,” S1 said. “We’re staying on our grind for now, but don’t worry, we’ll be back soon!”