For Californian prophets of rage The Coup, 'consciousness' was never a trend. They began their socialist campaign for the redistribution of wealth and power way back in the early '90s when groups like Brand Nubian, Public Enemy and X-Clan were simultaneously taking it up to governments, corporations and pop charts. Yet unlike most (except PE of course) they have stayed the course, although while the message remains strong, the sound has changed markedly. Like a Trojan horse sent to penetrate the 'white' world, with their first album in over five years, The Coup come over like a rock group pushing fuzzy guitars and shouty pop-punk hooks – music to get frat boys crowd surfing to the sound of black revolution.
The set opens with fuzzy punk rock attitude that's unleashed on the American high school system, record companies, governments, materialistic rappers and fake revolutionaries. Though it sounds heavy going, the messages are surreptitiously embedded inside feel-good music in such a way that you're given the option of dancing or thinking (or both). With its 1970s rock funk lean, musically Hendrix and Sly Stone are undeniable influences and the recent non-hip hop work of Andre 3000 is comparable, yet The Coup, with rapper/singers Boots Riley and various female vocalists sharing mic time, have their own sound that can never be totally removed from its roots, something that is demonstrated on the closing track, WAVIP, alongside the intriguing pairing of Das Racist and Killer Mike. Existing between, and possibly looking to bridge, different worlds, Sorry To Bother You manifests the spirit of the experimental and interracial 1960s revolutionary movement, yet whether it can bring together today's hip hop and indie heads is highly questionable.
