Pigeon John

?And the Summertime Pool Party

Quannum Projects

Four out of five stars

From the heart of Inglewood, Calif., the original home of gangsta rap, comes a hip-hop artist who is the antithesis of his surroundings. Pigeon John writes happy, clever lyrics, full of wit and humor, which sets him apart from his tougher Los Angeles neighbors-and their glorification of sex, drugs and thug life.

Another way to put this: Pigeon John is found on the cover of his newest release, ?And the Summertime Pool Party, in pink shorts, thick black-rimmed glasses and a snappy fedora. His music and lyrics are funny and lighthearted, which is refreshing considering the stereotypical hip-hop sound these days. The album’s title is perfect-this is music for a mellow summer get-together with friends.

Be aware, however, that although this may be the first time you’re hearing his name, Pigeon John is far from a hip-hop newcomer-this is actually his fourth solo release, not including all the collectives he’s been a part of over the years.

If you like the positive imagery and messages of Ugly Duckling or Jurassic 5, the humor of De La Soul and The Pharcyde and the intelligent rhyming of Q-Tip, this record is for you.

You can hear Pigeon John on KUTE (AM 1620), in the dorms on UTV66 or streamed online at www.kute.org.

KUTE