One Block Radius

Had I been able to catch Hieroglyphics in Tempe earlier this month, I also would have had the opportunity to see One Block Radius as a support act. The California-based trio is just another reason to think that hip-hop is cycling back to the good-time vibes of the early ’90s while pushing the genre in new creative directions.

Producer/singer Marty James, turntablist MDA (both formerly of Scapegoat Wax) and Hiero-affiliated rapper Z-Man make up One Block Radius, which recently dropped the LPLong Story Short.

James says on the group’s bio: “I hope the album sparks people’s creative sides. I want us to keep progressing in the fashion of an OutKast where you have the first record and it just grows and when it’s fully developed, it’s a beautiful thing. We are dudes that want to push the boundaries creatively.”

Creativity isn’t in doubt here. These guys are chameleon-like, going from the totally danceable Loud and Clear to the beatbox basics of Champion.

The links come via the group’s Web site. Check ‘em at MySpace, too.

One Block Radius | Look Out Below
One Block Radius | Loud and Clear
One Block Radius | Black Mercedes
One Block Radius | Champion

Check out the video for Loud and Clear here.