Addressing or thinking of Austin hip-hop outfit Magna Carda within the very narrow scope that most ingest hip-hop in is a disservice to not only Magna Carda, but to individuals with such limited and reductive thinking. While the music of Magna Carda has always been forward-thinking and full of emotional depth and sonic texture, To The Good People finds the duo taking an evolutionary step in terms of how sharply and precisely they are able to communicate and execute their ideas from song to song. While Megz Kelli firmly plants her feet in the sand with her signature laid-back but forceful flow, everything that surrounds her musically has the ambition and sonic quality of a mixture between Sade‘s Sweetback backing band and more youthful experimental outfits like the Steve Lacy-driven The Internet. While Austin is no stranger to popular musicians, hip-hop is a genre in which fame outside of Texas has been elusive, but if given the right opportunity, a band like Magna Carda could use an album like To The Good People to make some noise for themselves outside of the standard boundaries of success artists from this neck of the woods are accustomed to. Definitely take the time to check out Magna Carda‘s latest offering, and if it speaks to you, donate and download if you can, but share regardless.
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