Sacred Hoop

In true sophomoric, <a href="spotify:artist:03r4iKL2g2442PT9n2UKsx">Beastie Boys</a> fashion, rapper <a href="spotify:artist:0hk4xVujcyOr6USD95wcWb">Luke Sick</a> (Luke Oakson) and producer Vrse Murphy (Patrick Murphy) of indie rap duo Sacred Hoop sift through personal and surreal anecdotes of drugs, sex, women, and everything else in between with a throwback hip-hop flavor. Aided by a cast of usual suspects -- namely scratch technicians <a href="spotify:artist:4vQVZ7VneTqv31qErhdtJV">DJ Quest</a> and DJ Raw B in addition to MCs Z-Man (of <a href="spotify:artist:7wjr7BVHyM6IRG6aM6ZQhW">One Block Radius</a>) and Eddie K. -- Sacred Hoop has been recording material since the mid-'90s via their independent Miasmatic Recordings label. Starting with their eight-track release Retired (1998), the two built a select, underground following in the Bay Area, particularly within their Palo Alto, CA, stomping ground. <a href="spotify:artist:0hk4xVujcyOr6USD95wcWb">Luke Sick</a> widened that fan base when he helped found the rap-rock band Brougham. Sacred Hoop's 2001 effort Sleepover and 2006's Go Hogwild received more proper distribution, which helped garner the latter album some high praises, though mainly from small-time music publications and Internet sites. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi