Murder T. Wrote

Now, for those of you who know me personally, you know that I love rap. Next to metal and hardcore, there's really no form of music I love as much as I love rap. When I say this, I'm not talking about this new breed of garbage on the airwaves. I'm talking about real, raw hip hop. When I was 13, I heard "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A. and my life was never the same. The same year I got a hold of "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre, "Doggystyle" by Snoop Dogg, "All Eyez On Me" by 2Pac, and "Lethal Injection" by Ice Cube. Needless to say, I live in Virginia but my love lies with the West Coast.

However, I've also got love for a lot of East Coast rappers. Mobb Deep's "The Infamous" can be heard in regular rotation quite a bit around my house, as can almost anything by Wu-Tang Clan and most Wu-Tang solo releases. There's also a huge soft spot for "Illmatic" and "It Was Written" by Nas. Speaking of East Coast rappers, that brings me to this update of Funeral South.

Terry P.O.W. is the frontman of New England hardcore band Product of Waste, but also has a rap project known as P.O.W. Camp. While I'm a fan of Product of Waste, I am an even bigger fan of what Terry is doing here with P.O.W. Camp. This is hip hop all right, but nothing like you'll be hearing on the radio any time soon. Why? Well, there are a few reasons.

It's smart, but it isn't pretentious. There's something about Terry's delivery that reminds of me of how Nas was in his early days. It's a near-flawless combination of intelligence and legitimate street cred that makes this man one of the only shining lights in the new era of hip hop. Be on the lookout for Terry and P.O.W. Camp very soon. Trust me when I say they're poised to blow up at any moment. For now, scope the mixtape. We'll see you again next time on Funeral South!


Terry P.O.W.- Murder T. Wrote