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GRITS
" Dichotomy A "

It's been two years since Grits released The Art of Translation , but the duo of Teron “Bonafide” Carter and Stacy “Coffee” Jones are back on the scene with their latest release. Even though the group is back, there's something strangely different about this release, it's been broken into two different segments and two different releases: the result is Dichotomy A and Dichotomy B (releasing on 11/02/04 ).

Now, when I initially heard about this album, I was excited because I'm a huge fan of Grits; but at the same time, I wasn't sure what to expect when I heard that they were releasing a double album. The first thing that came to mind was a blatant bite of Outkast's latest release; it turns out, that wasn't the case. Then I thought to myself that they'd each be releasing solo albums, which wasn't the case either. What it boils down to is that Grits are releasing an album that's been broken down into 2 separate releases (probably because it was too much to fit on a single album).

Okay, so let's talk about the music. It is typical Grits flare, but you also notice that the group is trying to challenge themselves musically as well as reach out to a much larger fan base. Their reaching out to a much larger audience is clearly evident from the very first track “Hittin' Curves.” This is a radio ready single and a certified club banger. This track also shows how Grits have adjusted to have a more mainstream sound that will allow them to reach a much larger audience than with their previous releases. Other club joints that can be found on the album are “Bobbin' Bouncin'” and “I Be.”

Even though the group have a shown a transition towards the mainstream, they still haven't forgotten their roots as they also continue with their jazzy sounds. The jazzier sounding tracks on this album include “Pardon Me Yo” and “Get Down,” to name a couple. One of the things that you'll notice on this album is that it has a very heavy southern vibe to it, from their southern raps to the heavy reggae/Caribbean verses & hooks from guest artists.

On this album, Grits chose to take us down a different path, and it's a path that I'm glad they took. They chose to experiment with a more mainstream sound and it paid off. Even though they experimented with their sound, they still didn't compromise their integrity or the biblical principles on which they stand. This is a great release from the group and I'm looking forward to Dichotomy B in November. Also, make sure you play the CD in your computer because it's enhanced with the music video for “Hittin' Curves.”

Suggested Listening: 4th Avenue Jones “HipRockSoul”, Pettidee “Street Music: The Legacy Volume 2”, Mars ILL “Backbreakanomics”

Key Tracks: "Hittin' Curves", "Pardon Me Yo", "I Be"

Review Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Reviewer: Trailblaza

 

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