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From THE STAR Dec. 07

Many things have forced Milwaukee, WI to national spotlight. Whether it be police or government cover-up & corruption, an alarming dropout rate in public schools, staggering joblessness & thus crime & senseless genocide; "Murder-Mil", or "Kil-Town" as it’s now referred to in street terms, seems to be screaming and bleeding for urgent help.

"I’m from a city where you get played like a sport", says King Tone on Street Game.

"We know for a fact Hip Hop culture can help save this city…", boldly states, Fidel, a well known youth worker. "Start the conversation right there! You know how many minds are molded and how much money or jobs are generated from hip hop?" He is so serious it almost seems sarcastic.

Jump into the trenches of the frontline of the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene and you will more than likely bump into a troop of rebel rousers known as the Taste Emcees. Stay close enough to the collective of educators and producers long enough and you will realize they have their work cut out for them. They go from hosting events in Milwaukee and Chicago, to producing and promoting music with artists from across the globe, to organizing youth summits, then to providing multi media services that tie it all together.

Currently on the calendar is "PowerMove", the latest of many from the Taste Emcees catalogue. The album is an honest, rugged and street-centric attempt to spread their consistent message of revolution and self determination. This is not a depart from the home base. King Tone insists "It’s like if Rza and Method Man from the Wu tang made an album together, we having fun dropping jewels, reppin’ the team."  Those Jewels are the straight forward delivery & "gangsterish" beats giving evidence to the current political and racial intensity experienced in America today. However even in most of the Hip Hop coming from Milwaukee according to King Tone is "not reflecting our realities, its more like fantasy rap" which is cool he insists, "But there needs to be more balance."

After years of working together, long freestyle sessions and some "brainstorming" as they call it, the two decided to record a militant minded double act project. "We’re really pushing our brand of "Healthy Hip Hop", we could do "crack-death rap" if we wanted to." Fidel says as they both laugh.

Weighing the scales, (and not the triple beam!) "positive rap" (ie: Kanye beating 50 Cent in sales , Common getting endorsements left & right & yes even after T.I. went and got arrested) on a national scale, seems to be answering the public’s need for more from their music. And while certain media outlets, parents, teachers & politicians can scapegoat and generalize Hip Hop, artists Viva Fidel & King Tone have to represent and establish new such ideas as PowerMove to add to the conversation.

With songs like "Street Game" and "Who’s Gangsta?" they ride the same bass heavy beats your favorite gun slingin’, drug sellin’, money throwin’,  get 20 spins a day on the radio rapper would pay a nice piece of ice for. The production is courtesy of now retired , producer and engineer L.O.G.O.known for his work with Devin the Dude, Outlaws, Baby Drew, Pimpin Ken and host of independent midwest artists.   

From the sound Viva Fidel and King Tone’s "PowerMove" release, Taste Emcees are steadfast on the mission of using the culture of Hip Hop as an edutainment tool to inform and activate the people. Support that!

Email: Powermove7@gmail.com

Myspace.com/powermove7

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