Ranked #156 in the Soul Strut 200

Overlooked coffee shop rap classic! Freestyle Fellowship were a key piece to the legendary Project Blowed collective that emerged from the cafes of LA in the early 90s loaded with emcee talent (Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone, Self Jupiter.) They are known for their swiftly delivered, jazzy mind spray with raps puked out like a freestyled John Coltrane sax solo.  It can be quite daunting upon first listen, but its a style that gets better with age.  On their second and final album Innercity Griots, the beats are part live jazz band ( a la The Roots) and part West Coast meets Native Tongue. Highlights include the hype posse cut "Everything's Everything," the 808-drencehed "Cornbread", and the jazzoetry of "Inner City Boundaries".  Unfortunately, this album was overshadowed by rap classics by Wu-Tang, Snoop, Tribe, etc also released in 1993 and the group never quite got their due.  

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