Monsters in the Closet
The dawning of the millennium has seen a Western uprising in the Canadian hip-hop scene, a movement led by the guts-and-gore-obsessed Swollen Members. The Vancouver, Canada-based duo of MCs Mad Child and Prevail was awarded Best Rap Junos (the northern Grammy equivalent) in 2001 and 2002, forBalanceandBad Dreams, respectively. The first win was a shock, but the second came as no surprise at all. With a fistful of catchy radio singles and a generous dose of Swollen’s trademark cellar-dwelling fatalism,Bad Dreamsconfirmed that when it comes to Canadian rap, the West is indeed the best.      Swollen’s latest effort,Monsters in the Closet, is a collection of rarities, remixes and spanking-new bangers. It plays like a brief history of Canada’s most popular rap outfit, from its Cali-influenced beginnings to its current electro obsession. Since adding longtime cohort Moka Only as a permanent member, the group has taken things in a more melodic, up-tempo direction, a shift most evident on the sensationally synthesized "Steppin’ Thru." "Breathe," meanwhile, is a headbanger propelled by a Berlin-by-way-of-Brooklyn electro beat and a knockout hook from fellow Canuck Nelly Furtado. Later on, the trio rides high over a reworked Sarah McLachlan vocal on the wistful "Long Way Down," a track that recalls Eminem’s successful collaboration with Dido. Beats from the street-credible Evidence and Zodak giveMonstersa steady, if unspectacular, foundation, but as demonstrated on the best of this album’s joints, Swollen’s future lies in the fast lane of hip-hop’s electro renaissance.Martin Turenne--From URB Magazine