La Coka Nostra :: A Brand You Can Trust

If the hyper effects of pure cocaine could be translated into audible form, then La Coka Nostra is the manufacturer, refiner and pusher. Born from the ruins of House of Pain, Limp Bizkit and all that rap, rock or otherwise sometimes forgets, LCN seems to be providing the purest of goods for listeners that enjoy the raw energy of metal, yet in a lyrically streetwise form of social thuggery and consciousness found in hip-hop. Wait; are we talking about a rap/rock hybrid here? No, not really. Nor is it a rehash of old trends or artists. To explain, LCN was roughly a three year work in progress, whereby all three former House of Pain members, plus a couple prestigious underground artists joined forces over that time to bring back a vintage appreciation for lost musical dynamics. Designed for Danny Boy O’Connor (House of Pain), the group began in DJ Lethal’s (House of Pain, Limp Bizkit) studio with a few young white boy emcees. As time passed, membership changed a bit, with Everlast – aka Whitey Ford and Ill Bill (Non Phixion) getting wind of the group and joining up. Studio sampling of classic rock hooks share space with car thumping drum beats, further accentuated by Everlast’s gruff bluesy choruses, Bill’s brutal rhyming and the spitfire succession of Slaine’s lyrical flow. Clever, biting lyrics engage the good, bad and ugly of politics, sex, drugs and hustling: tough guy personas run rampant, but the style and sensibility are never lost for the sake of exposure in that image. This is an indie release – a very polished one - overflowing with the ‘good’ stuff usually missing on radio friendly hits. A Brand You Can Trust rocks, rolls and raps thanks primarily to the amazing collective of rhyme bosses that combine experience, diversity and ability. Tracks such as the brazen opener “Bloody Sunday” hit like jetfighter while “Stain” engages are a gritty realism of Hollywood life, adding that bluesy touch for effect. “That’s Coke” will surely be the group’s anthem and “I’m an American” takes a stark look at how we tend use wield power around the globe. This record has been a long time coming and if the cast list wasn’t enough to spark interest, guest capos making appearances include, among others, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Bun B and former member of the original LCN incarnation - Big Left.

www.lacokanostra.com