new music: dc-based g.u.m.p. (give us more power) blends post-rock an hip-hop on ‘unusual’ #soundcheck

With a backing band that slides seamlessly between spaced-out jazzy jams and a heavy chorus, DC-based G.U.M.P. may be the first hip-hop group to seriously blend post-rock into their music. Lead vocalist Uno Hype’s flow is halfway between sung and rapped so when he kicks in for that 2nd verse, it hits like a ton of bricks. On their latest single, “Unusual,” the band takes a page from Yasiin Bey’s massively underrated Black Jack Johnson for a song about a dissolving relationship. It’s heavy, heartbreaking, beautiful, hard, and engaging. The band’s forthcoming debut Slevin is set to drop within the month.