In Living The True Gods

My review of the Stones Throw DVD, which should have appeared in Metro today

In Living The True Gods DVD
Stones Throw
four stars

The second DVD from the Stones Throw label presents the music videos for 16 tracks of abstract, progressive rap (Madvillan, Quasimoto) and instrumental hip hop goodness (J Dilla, James Pants). Stones Throw’s appeal is many of its rappers are irrepressibly experimental and hence are brought to life visually through animation and motion graphics. Helium-voiced, sex-obsessed, criminal rapper Quasimoto becomes an animated half-man, half-hippo meandering through a Sonic The Hedgehog environment; J Dilla’s Nothing Like This begins as a gentle cartoon of a shark and a jellyfish falling in love until a fisherman snares the shark and the jellyfish wreaks revenge. The spirit of Hendrix and Dali courses through the veins of the music and promos gathered here. Also featuring revealing interviews with label founder Peanut Butterwolf and super-producer J Dilla (as well as a stylish poster), this is an essential and collectible slice of indie-hip-hop history.
Extras: Seven bonus features including Quasimoto live.

A slight expansion is that if you're a Stones Throw head this is a must get coz it has extensive footage of label founder Peanut Butterwolf and Charizma in the studio, goofing around in 1992. Charizma passing away inspired Peanut Butterwolf to start Stone's Throw...