The Spirit of Apollo

N.A.S.A., one of the most immense hip hop project

The project N.A.S.A. is one of the most immense hip hop project in the past decades. It was founded by two talented producers, American Sam Spiegel professionally known as Squeak E. Clean and Brazilian Ze, or DJ Zegon. According to the legend, these guys met at least five years ago and began recording compositions together but their first official creation is released only this year. Besides that these two have united the American hip hop and Brazilian funk on their debut album The Spirit of Apollo the work’s main peculiarity is the participation of more than thirty guest stars on it. As a result we have a completely unimaginable, unpredictable and unexpected mixture of styles, voices, instruments and also an unbelievable variety of themes and moods. To appreciate this attempt to combine the non-combinable and thus create a masterpiece you should certainly listen to The Spirit of Apollo from the beginning to the end and the list of performance is sure to warm up your interest to it.

Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon’s trademark beats on The Spirit Of Apollo

The entire record The Spirit of Apollo is based on the duo of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon’s fashionable trademark beats and pleases with the significant percentage of interesting ultra modern production. Probably to avoid all possible doubt that this kind of constellation has really gathered together the album opens with Intro on which in very much detail we are told about the project and the basic action follows only then. David Bryne has refined the first two tracks with his presence, The People Tree (also featuring Chali 2na, Gift of Gab and Z-Trip) and Money (performed with Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge and Z-Trip). Both of the songs please with splendid arrangements. There are also two almost title compositions on the album – N.A.S.A. Music, on which Method Man, E-40 and DJ Swamp are shining and the final one, N.A.S.A. Anthem, contagious with its positive mood. Besides this is the record’s longest track containing a melodious hidden song. John Frusciante from Red Hot Chilly Peppers joins the guys on Way Down (with Rza Barbie), whereas late Ol'dirty Bastard appears on the song Karen O together with Fatlip). Yet the real surprise is the composition Spacious Thoughts, refined with Tom Waits vocals surprisingly harmonizing with a heavy beat and rapping from Kool Keith. Kanye West could not stay aside, too – the track Gifted pleases with his recognizable singing as well as the voices of Santa Gold and Lykke Li. A joyful song Theirs A Party featuring George Clinton and once again Chali 2na is just perfect for various ways to have fun and The Mayor can boast with the verses from the likes of the Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, Scarface and DJ am.

Ready hits and no complete failures

It would probably be no exaggeration to say that the fans of both hip hop and rock have been longing to hear how Kool Keith and Tom Waits can possibly sing one song and this is far from the only suchlike example of unexpected collaborations on The Spirit of Apollo. Whether they are successful or not is the second question in the evaluating. In fact it is worth while praising the people behind N.A.S.A. already for that they could fulfill their crazy ideas that seemed quite impossible to realize from the logic’s point of view. It is easy to define the most memorable tracks on this record consisting of 17 of them and they will definitely become hits. At the same time there are no complete failures here and cannot be from the definition for each of the numerous participants has tried to do his or her best to make one’s song the best of the best. No doubt even if the N.A.S.A. project ends its existence with The Spirit of Apollo (which is hardly possible regarding the talent of its founders) it will still enter the history as the boldest, the most inventive and interesting hip-hop tandem.