The Gateway Drug

The Sharpie-scribbled homemade discs bands have shamelessly pitched at local shows are another release closer to a thing of the past.

Last week Sioux City hip-hop trio The Gateway Drug retired the CD burner with “times new roman” – the group’s first commercially pressed and printed disc. (Download free here.)

For years, the group built a following with a string of free burned discs they fondly called “bootlegs.”

This new album comes in a jewel case, bar code on the back. Yet, the message is anything but corporate. And the sound? Not “hip-hop” in the mainstream way.

“Musicians today are writing songs for the sole purpose of becoming famous and glorifying the wealth they covet,” said lead vocalist Eric Osterholm (aka The Top Civilian) in a pitch to local media.

The “times new roman” release incorporates ethereal sounds with catchy loops, heavy beats and new rhymes. Pop culture samples invoke thoughts of Nintendo. The voice of Gonzo journalism legend Hunter S. Thompson tugs contrast.

Electronic genre influences help pull away from the group’s early sound, while making a statement that hip-hop can evolve past Cadillacs, bling and long fur coats.

The trio is working to frame itself as underdogs in a widely “polluted” mainstream genre.

“What makes us different from any other band? We’re the next Destiny’s Child, only with three Beyonces … (our manager) thought that was a really stupid idea,” Osterholm said jokingly during a recent podcast recording for The Journal’s Heard Mentality online music blog.

Despite an album cover with cannabis leaves arranged as a compass marking Sioux City, the group said they don’t promote drugs.

But with track names such as “Along Came a Spider,” “Nintendo” and “Sexy Darkness,” the group at least gets credit for entertaining free thought. - Sioux City Journal

Sioux City, Iowa may not exactly be the first, second, or last place you’d think about when it comes to making a hip-hop discovery, but there’s a group that are hopeful to make an impact on you and potential fans. It’s a trio (2 MC’s, 1 DJ) who go by the name of The Gateway Drug and true to their name, they are inspired by the power of weed, from the cover art to some of the lyrical themes. However, they do not speak about pakalolo 100 percent of the time, but they do create some stoney vibes with their songs, as shown on times new roman..

MC Brew and The Top Civilian are the two microphone fiends, add to that the extra freaky DJ Poyo on production, and you got a group who continue the green leafy ways of Cypress Hill, Mad Flava, and Divine Styler. Their songs are put together in a traditional manner, but then they get into these moments where everything sounds completely foreign (not ethnically, but it just doesn’t sound like what one is used to hearing) and it’s as if you had taken some mushrooms and turned your speakers into a pulpit worthy of worship. The lyrics and performances of them are tight, although what appeals to me here is the fact that it sounds like a professional demo, where it doesn’t sound too clean or overly polished.

With it being a demo, there is a tendency for them to sound loose and laid back, which has its share of pros and cons. The pro: it simply sounds like three guys in a room just making music and beats, rhymes and life, maybe with a beer or joint in their hand, and they’re having a great time without care. The con: sometimes it feels a little too loose and I can only imagine what these guys would sound like if they were to eliminate some of their vices for a singer, EP, or album project with an established label or two. By saying this, it’s basically me saying that I like what I hear as is, it doesn’t sound weak or watered down by any means. If these guys ever opened up for Anti-Pop Consortium, their fan base would grow immensely. For now, if that means working harder to get their music heard by the world, I think they should remain determined and keep at it. Plus, it sounds like they had fun doing this too, which is what hip-hop as a whole should never forget. - John Book

"Loved the album! Awesome work. Honestly, it's your best yet.... I've honestly listened to it four times already. Truly its rad.

It's comparable to Run the Jewels in production. I absolutely loved it. And the lyrics! This album just felt real as f#&%. I'm listening to it the rest of the week."

-Luke McWilliams - (Fan Review)