The BASIQS

The consistency of quality found on Your Life is Calling is not as common as you'd like, but the relative scarcity of good albums makes it all the better when you find one. Meet the Basiqs: producer/MC Gage, and his partner Mr. Sin.

This is an independent release, and therefore more difficult to find, but it’s worth your while given you want to hear some good, soulful hip-hop music with enough of a modern edge to push your popular favorites slightly behind the times.

Gage’s base production style is laid-back and funky. Mr. Sin and Gage come from Florida and New York, respectively, so you might attempt to label their music as being a melding of these two styles; strangely enough, it’s the New Yorker’s production that brings a lot of the Southern flavor. Tracks like “Return to Oz” bring out the P-Funk invocations you hear on early Outkast, complete with Eddie Hazel-esque guitar soloing. Organs are ubiquitous. Not one to stay too formulaic, you can find other Gage tracks that are more break-oriented (“Let it Go”), that catch onto a throwback soul vibe (“Domino”), and even one built around chamber-style piano and violin fragments (“Destiny”). The occasional digital stutter reminds you that this is the 21st century, even if the influence of the 20th isn’t yet too far behind.

Not to underplay the producer’s lyrical contributions (because Gage is more than competent in this regard), but Mr. Sin is really the MC that gives these tracks the flow they deserve. The topics themselves are not necessarily novel, but he’s honed his crafting and delivery. He can deliver a message without being too self-conscious, drop an onomatopoeic “rat-a-tat-tat” without sounding silly, and sing a hook when he needs to that really brings the track together. One of two guest productions, the excellent “U Know” features a tight Florida-style rhythm (courtesy of Bryan Tyson) that demonstrates the extent to which the Basiqs can successfully adapt their flow to meet the needs of a situation. Just “don’t call [them] conscious rappers….”

If ever there were a group that needed to be bigger than what they presently are, it’s the Basiqs. It’s truly difficult to imagine someone not feeling “U Know” or “Domino,” excepting the inevitable hater. Check for this now, and save yourself the trouble of playing catch up later.

- Justin Deremo
- OKAYPLAYER.com

It has now become cliché to bemoan how cliché hip hop has become. Like the national deficit, it seems no one even cares. Most hip hop today appears critic proof anyway. (So was hair metal in the ‘80’s. Hint. Hint.)

Now, Tampa’s own hip hop community, in a town with three FM stations who refuse to recognize their own, carves out its own counter culture niche. At the top of the list are The Basiqs, a lyrically taut duo made up of Mr. Sin and GAGE. On Your Life they give approving nods to the greats such as Biggie on “Warning,” and 2 Pac’s nicotine induced rasp flow on “Destiny.” All of this while deftly mixing reggae, trip hop, and soul into political protest (“Bushwhacked”) and street hustling lament (“Ready 2 Die”).

It’s all an intelligent groove that gives prop to the past with an eye toward the future. The Basiqs headed west for LaLa Land to test their beats on the national stage but they were kind enough to leave their imprint on the Bay area before packing up and heading to Beverly.

– Michael Rabinowitz
- REAX MAGAZINE

GAGE (A.K.A Adam Bruce)
Has won Grand prize in the first round of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, in the Hip Hop Category.

Facing off against millions of entrants from around the world, the panel of seasoned musicians and A&R's selected "DESTINY" (From The BASIQS debut LP "Your Life is Calling") as a winner! - JLSC.com