Pigeon John
Pigeon John And The Summertime Pool Party
Quannum Projects/Jam Recordings


Hailing from the streets of Inglewood, California, Pigeon John has been an effervescent presence in the West Coast underground hip-hop scene, ever since his frequent appearances at the hallowed Good Life Cafˇ open-mic nights, alongside future hip-hop figureheads such as The Pharcyde, Kurupt and Jurassic 5.

Since then, Pigeon John has maintained a steady growth of popularity and legions of fans - not through chart-topping hits, but through live shows in local venues and independent promotion of recorded material. He has also been featured in the soundtracks of Xbox games 'Project Gotham' and 'NBA Inside Drive 2002'. His clever topics and rhymes, coupled with a charismatic delivery, have made Pigeon John stand out from the crowd and this, his fourth solo album (though, his first with the renowned indie hip-hop label Quannum Projects), sees him continue on his fun-filled adventure full of sassy beats, fresh new rhymes and an undeniable infectious appeal.

What makes this such a particularly fun album to listen to is the self-deprecating humor in which Pigeon John surrounds it with - from his novel approach in trying to get a date on Money Back Guarantee, to the universally-grounded and familiar I Lost My Job Again and to the surprisingly poignant, yet nostalgic, Growin' Old.

However, Pigeon John also proves that he is more than just a novelty act and proves his worth as an MC and hip-hop artist with the electrifying bravado of One For The Money, the honest account of Weigh, the funk-rock fusion of Brand New Day and the rhetorically philosophical As We Know It.

This album is probably best described as the album that The Black Eyed Peas are trying, but failing, to make. This is an album full of a fresh vibe that will not only appeal to lovers of hip-hop, but the pop and dance music enthusiasts also. Pigeon John probably best encapsulates it all in the album opener: "Welcome to the show today, we're gonna have fun in a major way, I know you got bills to pay, but it's my job to help you let it wash away." Enough said.

Leo Varona