CD Reviews

N.A.S.A. | The Spirit of Apollo

Anti- (2009)

By ZETH LUNDY | February 18, 2009

3.0 Stars

I could fill up my allotted space by simply listing the plethora of cameos, not to mention incongruous match-ups, stuffed within this Benetton ad of a debut by Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegan, a/k/a N.A.S.A. (North America South America). The Spirit of Apollo offers a who's who of hip-hop, from KRS-One and Chuck D to Chali 2na and a fraction of Wu-Tang (even ODB gives a shout-out, from beyond the grave!), who rhyme over hooks sung by strange bedfellows like David Byrne, Tom Waits, and Karen O. But N.A.S.A.'s ethos of u-n-i-t-y promotes the sum of the parts rather than the motley pieces. It's a post-Obama record (we are not black MCs and white singers — we are American musicians!), and post-Funkadelic, too, as George Clinton reminds us in the all-inclusive jam "There's a Party." The beats are eminently funky, the rhymes tight, and the topics decidedly old-school: plain-spoken boasts, the rejection of greed, and an acknowledgment of our communal evolution indicate the overall tone. Plus, any record that uses a sample of Richard Nixon to further its agenda of togetherness must have its heart in the right place.

Related: Slideshow: N.A.S.A., Madness 2012 and Big Digits, Cam'Ron, I scream, you scream, More

Topics: CD Reviews , Entertainment, Hip-Hop and Rap, Music, More

| More

See more deals

view all

[ 02/19 ] 4-9 pm | Tom Tom Sunday: Celebrating the Big Beat of Tom Ardolino @ The Met

[ 02/19 ] Mary Poppins @ Providence Performing Arts Center

[ 02/19 ] "Nostalgia Machines" @ David Winton Bell Gallery

ARTICLES BY ZETH LUNDY

COTTON MATHER | KONTIKI [DELUXE EDITION] | February 14, 2012
When it was released in 1997, Cotton Mather's sophomore album racked up glowing critical huzzahs across the pond (not to mention big-ups from Oasis), yet dudded here in the States.

THE PUNCH BROTHERS | WHO'S FEELING YOUNG NOW? | February 07, 2012
For a group full of virtuosos, the Punch Brothers refuse to dole out prodigious string-murdering sessions.

AIR | LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE | January 31, 2012
It was inevitable that Air would one day be asked to soundtrack a colorized version of an iconic 1902 silent French film about moon exploration, right? There's the French thing, the moon thing, the kitsch-cool factor.

FUTURE OF THE LEFT | POLYMERS ARE FOREVER | January 17, 2012
Since we last heard from Future of the Left, Cardiff's greatest non-furry export lost founding member Kelson Mathias and gained two new ones.

ALEX CHILTON | FREE AGAIN: THE ''1970'' SESSIONS | January 10, 2012
Post–Box Tops and pre-Big Star, Alex Chilton was an 18-year-old Memphis boy on his way to his dual identity: former #1 pop hitmaker, perpetual underground hero.