Representing Assasyn Dynasty

Socially responsible hip-hop is alive and well in Austin and San Antonio, or Saturn, as the fellas call it, as surprising as that may sound at first. Assasyn Dynasty, a group of incandescent young men who eschew the gangsta rap image of violence and disrespect, are more reminiscent of the hard-driving protest sounds of the '60's, speaking the truth of moral decay from top to bottom in the US and advocating communication and positive action rather than the rough justice usually associated with rap and hip-hop.

Blending the sounds of jazz with just a taste of classical, their music hooks a wider listening audience than the industry standard hard-core beats and samples of durty rap, without watering down the message: these musicians don't like the corruption they see happening in the world today, and are dead serious about changing it in a positive way through their music.

The group members bring an intelligence and ethos not often found in the genre. Most of them are multi-cultural "service brats," and grew up with the eye-opening experience of living abroad as well as the US. This is the locus for these young men. San Antonio has a large military presence, and many service families pass through or retire there, so it has by default become a hip-hop hub. This living education brings an immediacy and relevancy to their lyrics that you won't find in music from the streets of L.A. or Brooklyn Heights, as real as those experiences are. What they have to say transcends the next girlfriend, the next line, the next record--their words speak to a larger truth that we all need to hear.

So check 'em out. Catch their next show and definitely listen to their stuff.