The Hammer Brothers
Free Palestine!
Hammer Bros. Records
The bombastic style affected by Mustafa and Omasik on Free
Palestine!, the debut LP from the Hammer Bros., is appropriate
given their aggression and disenchantment. Arab Muslims frustrated
by the absence of justice on “stolen land” in Israel, the New York
duo rage through 13 tracks, exposing perceived impropriety and
advocating political upheaval. Once the listener becomes accustomed
to the visceral anger behind seemingly every verse on the record,
he or she quickly becomes aware that the record’s beats are
lacking, most too bland despite being active. This makes the album
a flawed enterprise because its impetus – advancing a message –
fails, the lyrics obscured by off-kilter beats. The Hammer Bros.
also rhyme in a herky-jerky style that suggests a lacking natural
aptitude. What they do have, though, is a message and a style not
commonly heard. Ignoring the aforementioned flaws, listeners will
find the beats to be fairly unique, a departure from today’s
dominant modes of hip-hop.