Dying in Stereo
Haters better recognize, because Northen State is so much better than the premature hype that seems to have done more harm that good for these three wise women from the Island of Long (they’re now based in the Big Apple). If you don’t know the score, their demo tape Hip-Hop You Haven’t Heard was so hot everybody from Rolling Stone to URB were quick to sing their praises. But like all things that blow up straight out of the gate (especially in the hyper-fickle city of New York) the backlash is quick, brutal and inevitable. All it takes is a spin of their high-steppin’ full-length debut to realize that these ladies are worthy of the praise. Big, old-school beats boom righteously while Guinea Love, Hesta Prynn and DJ Sprout kick real rhymes about what it’s really like being a young woman living in the city. While the albums starts out fun and funky, by set closers "All The Same" and the title cut things get disarmingly deep and serious. Don’t sleep on Northern State — they’ve got the skills to pay the bills.Permanent Ink--From URB Magazine