I really don’t want to use the “best hip hop group you’ve never heard of” cliché, but if anyone can live up to that overused, often ridiculous statement, it’s probably Common Market. Though they have a huge following in their native Northwest (Seattle), they’ve failed to really break out in other areas of the country, even following the success of label-mates Blue Scholars. That should change, however, with Tobacco Road, the long-awaited full-length follow-up to the duo’s self-titled debut and recent EP Black Patch War.

Producer Sabzi (who is also the producer/DJ for Blue Scholars) is simply brilliant, and has been for quite a few years now. His trademark horns are traded here for synths, but the other hallmarks of his sound are still intact: smooth, jazzy organs, crisp drums and a remarkable knack for melody and musicality. His production lacks the punch-you-in-the-face immediacy and straight-up hardness of a lot of underground hip hop, but it makes up for that with an emotional resonance and organic catchiness that few producers can touch.

The other half of Common Market is emcee Ra Scion, who I really want to like. He’s got good politics, an incredible flow and some mind-blowing lyrics. All in all, he’s very good. Maybe too good.

One thing a lot of emcees don’t seem to understand is that being perfect isn’t necessarily a good thing. If your rhymes are 100% technically proficient, if every syllable is exactly where it needs to be and every vocal rhythm crisp and clean, you actually risk losing the audience. There’s such a thing as “too much flow.” A little raggedness and negative space here and there is, in my opinion, a good thing. Ra is a superlatively talented emcee, and it’s because of (rather than despite) this that I found myself almost losing interest; the lyrics are simply overwhelming.

For those who listen to hip hop solely for its sonic qualities, this isn’t a problem. If you consider the emcee’s voice another instrument, you’ll love Common Market. But I know that Ra is really dropping knowledge—I just wish I could catch it without having to read the lyrics (which are provide on the Common Market MySpace page, complete with footnotes).

There are exceptions, however, as songs like “Weather Vane” and “Nina Sing” showcase a more deliberate flow that allows some thought-provoking content to shine through. Again, Ra is an emcee’s emcee (much like Invincible, whose album is similarly dense) and definitely shines when in that mode; when he steps out of it, however, he can be transcendent.

But if the biggest criticism of the group is that the emcee is too good, you should know that this is an album worth checking out.

All in all Tobacco Road is very solid, there are no weak tracks. And though the duo probably could have done a little more with the concept (the title is a very loaded phrase for people familiar with its origins) beyond using it as a metaphor to umbrella over the usual indie-hip hop fare – this is another small complaint. Musically, this album is as good as anything that’s come out in quite a while. And Common Market deserves to be more than “the best hip hop group you’ve never heard of;” hopefully they’ll get a chance to showcase their considerable talents to a wider audience this year.

Common Market “Tobacco Road” (mp3)

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