The Joe

With the likes of Buck 65, Epic and Ira Lee, Canada has cornered the market on oddball rappers with unusual flows. Add to this list Edmonton MC the Joe. A mix of Paul Barman and Pigeon John, the Joe is lyrically open and honest, with a fun and energetic nasal flow. For UT-OH, he applies his absurd style to a number of traditional hip-hop standbys, resulting in ridiculous boasts and disses on a bunch of battle raps, as with the obviously named "The Obligatory 'You're This and I'm That' Jam" and others, or dedicating his back-in-the-day track to his grandmother ("A Visit With Grandma Ellen"). Sometimes his delivery can be a little sloppy but his unique perspective on hip-hop, along with input from guests Mitchmatic, Mikey Maybe, Jonek and Xlacks, holds down the first three quarters of the album. His indie rock experimentations, however, arrive too late and weigh down the end of the record, but he saves face finishing with a funny freestyle that has a title too long for the word count of this review. Aside from that hiccup, UT-OH is an amusing listen for those not stuck on typical rap formulas.