Simplicity is something often misunderstood, frequently misapplied, and therefore largely unappreciated in hip hop's modern climate. As you probably already know, many mainstream hip hop acts seem to be of the mistaken idea that simple should mean simple-minded. On the flip side, many underground cats, in all their anti-mainstream fervor, seem to go overboard in their attempts to disassociate themselves from pop stupidity and end up getting lost in complexity. However, as an almost life-long hip hop listener myself, I know that simple rhymes and beats are what the art form is founded on, and can still be a formula for causing the kind of head nodding enjoyment that made most people hip hop fans to begin with. New York's six member Hand Held Aspects Crew seem to know that as well, and they prove themselves pretty competent at putting that knowledge into practice on their demo level full length No One's Listening.

I say pretty competent because at a hefty seventeen tracks in length the album is pretty solidly packed with enjoyable material, but some slight deficiencies do manage to make themselves known. The lead off track, "FDRS (fucdisrapshit)," is in fact indicative of both the strengths and weaknesses to come throughout the rest of the disc. The production is straightforward, but innovative, flipping Kenny G samples and what sounds like some symphony's version of "Turkey In The Straw" into a thumping track. The result is pretty tasty, but the building string samples kind of overpower the vocalists in places. This is due in part to some less than professional recording and mixing techniques, as well as the fact that the emcees' lyrical content and basic flows don't do too much to command your attention. Though the unusually original beat on this track manages to make up for whatever shortcomings there may be in the performance of the emcees, it is mainly the few occasions when the standards of the crew's production takes a slight dip that the less fortified quality of some of the lyrics becomes more self evident.

Thankfully though, there are a number of selections on No One's Listening where H2A's beats and rhymes coalesce in a damn near perfect manner. Take a track like "Inquisitions" for example. Sporting the kind of dusty piano loop and chunky drums you might expect to hear on an old KMD or Biz Markie record, emcees Eibol and E.A. Flow take lighthearted jabs at the idiotic questions people tend to plague them with on a daily basis. Dope production-- courtesy of Eibol-- aside, the song comes off so well because though the emcees are really attacking peoples' ignorant preconceptions, they hit the track with a humorous attitude that makes it more self referential fun than mean-spirited complaining.

It is that everyman quality that H2A bring to the mic, adding a little personal detail here and there, that makes them especially easy to relate to, and it's on the ambitious "Reflections: The Eulogy" that they manage to best blend that personable nature with strong lyrical exhibitions and high quality production. Featuring group members Heathcliff, Losaka, Yorz Truly & StayInSane, the track is divided into two distinct movements. The first movement finds the emcees kicking verses from the perspective of the recently deceased and dying, reflecting on their shortcomings and failings in life over Losaka's junkyard band drum programming, a melancholy string loop and moody cello samples. The second movement offers up a more triumphant soundscape of vibrant piano, ethereal noise and marching drums-- delivered in a manner somewhat evocative of El-P's production on Cannibal Ox's "Scream Phoenix"-- to match the H2A Crew's verses of mourning for the dead, their talents and humanitarian qualities which have now been lost. The production, by Losaka, heard on both movements, is stellar, and each emcee delivers the goods, showing the depth of their skills as well as the amount of heart and down home realism they are capable of injecting into their art which all makes "Reflection" the clear standout of No One's Listening.

As dope as "Reflection" may be however, there are still a number of other highlights in the set. "Eyeyeye (the sun)" featuring Heathcliff, Losaka and Hippo kicking simple but flavorful punch lines dissing wack rappers is a goofy romp with a groovy Latin guitar loop and the most memorable chorus on the album, making it something of an infectious sing-along anthem. And, although it recycles a heavily used sample (I've even recorded a joint using the groove), Eibol's solo outing, "Progressive Thoughts," comes off nicely thanks to some boom-bap drum taps, a nice sample switch up on the scratch-laden hook, an original arrangement, and the performance of Eibol who lyrically delves into the mind of a bedroom artist struggling for progression while proving that the many hours he's obviously spent locked behind closed doors perfecting his craft were worth it with the strength of his heart-felt vocals.

In the end, H2A's No One's Listening is pretty much bereft of wackness. There are in fact a handful of cuts like "Point Of Reference," "I Amaze Myself," "Day & Night," and "In Due Time" that are probably just as worthy of more in depth review as the tracks I’ve already touched upon. All the emcees in the crew are skilled and each one manages to prove themselves capable of delivering philosophical ideas, personal thoughts and braggadocios boasts, with heart, feeling and unique flavor while still keeping things fun, simple and easy to understand. The production throughout the disc, though usually relatively simple and often somewhat lo-fi and unpolished, is original and should be satisfying to any beat head who enjoys gritty samples. If there is any sticking point though it is the fact that the crew is so unpolished and sometimes seems lacking in direction. For a demo, No One's Listening is a little long, but as a full-length underground release by a crew that boasts seven members, it's not too overwhelming. For future endeavors however, the crew might want to try and unify it's vision into something a little more focused and cohesive by creating a smaller group of songs featuring the strengths of the best material found here.

Though listeners are not going to find some new and unheard of vocal style or complex abstract lyricism, for anyone who still enjoys a good beat and a rhyme, H2A Crew's No One's Listening should in fact be worth listening to.

-Keter Tzadik