Backed With

Boogiemonsters

"Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album"

(Pendulum)

Along with the Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief, Questionmark Asylum, Digable Planets and a host of others, the Boogiemonsters were a hip-hop quartet who were able bypass the grittier aesthetic of mid-to-late 90's rap. From the Cal Tjader-styled cover of their first album, "Riders of the Storm," it's clear that they were set apart from the Mobb Deeps of the time. Their record is heavy on New World Order conspiracies, but not as heavy as their follow up sophomore, "God Sound," in which half the group quit and didn't quite have the appeal of their earlier offering.