For those of you out there in the world, tired of hearing plastic m.c.’s devote 13 stale tracks to money, loose women, and jewelry, come to the land of Zion I. This 418hz Productionz created manifesto should have been called Mind Over Materialism instead of Mind Over Matter, the way this trio shreds mic violators to shreds with well thought out lyrics and original subject matter.

What separates Zion I from most of the nonsense on wax these days is confidence and experimentation. You immediately notice this album is unlike anything out on the shelves right now. Curious beats and material draw you in like a moth to a light. Take for example one of the best tracks on the album How Many. Through simple observations and introspection, this joint makes you really appreciate how powerful hip hop and life are:

How many rhymes will it take, just for you to relate, and realize that we’re living in a police state… How many times have you lied and cheated, acted conceited, didn’t need it you want it.

These themes reappear throughout the album, especially the one of not living by the almighty dollar. Fools Gold is a scratch fest, mixing sound bites of today’s biggest money hounds, talking about the only thing they have the mental capacity to talk about, cash. The choice of title is so fitting and when you hear the track, you’ll know why. Zion I follows this right up with the next track Venus. One the Ms. Fat Booty tip, Zion expounds the on the misguided, soul less, currency seeking honey:

Sometimes she shake her thang, sometimes she want to chill, but otherwise she searching for that doggone dollar bill. Yo she settin up the kill from the moment that it starts, prayin on the weakness that be lurking in they hearts.

The one weakness of this album, which I praised earlier, is over -creativity. I am a firm proponent of pushing the envelope and trying new formulas on an album. However, it can be overkill at times. Revolution, Metropolis, Elevation, and Inner Light all begin to melt into each other because they contain the same, hyper-tempo, trance loop.

All in all, if you possess the mental stamina and courage to step into the next generation of hip hop, make the journey to Zion I and saturate yourself in the sonic healing.