Named after the legendary neighborhood on Old Detroit's East Side, Black Bottom Collective has become perhaps The Big D's hottest band, fusing hip-hop, rock and funk behind its poetic lyrics. People Mover is the octet's debut, and a spin of the disc explains the heat around this group. Their grooves are tight and the vocals are solid, but the centerpiece is clearly the group's lyrical message. While many of the mindless tracks that dominate modern hip-hop sample the music of the 60s and 70s, few hip-hop acts capture the intelligence and political spirit of that era's best music in the way that BBC does. At alternate times pretentious or simplistic or absolutely dead on – depending on your perspective – People Mover's lyrics are always engaging, and BBC presents them in a musically cohesive fashion. And though folks may be flocking by the millions to the ersatz meaningful messages prevalent on modern urban radio, Black Bottom Collective is what hip-hop should be all about. Recommended.
