The Goods

By Falice Chin

The city of Halifax gave birth to some of Canada’s best hip-hop talents. Besides Buck 65 and Josh Martinez, one can’t forget Kunga 219 and DJ Gordski–collectively known as The Goods. With the release of their excellent third album, 4/Four, they bring us another inspiring work from the artists of Good Night Musics.


The intro track, “On the Level”, quickly shows off Kunga 219ïž´S clever rhymes as well as DJ Gorski’s tight juggles and cuts. A few up-tempo tracks follow, distinct yet comfortably sitting somewhere between the overtly pop and the artistically far-fetched side of hip-hop.


A long-time friend from Halifax, Kaleb Simmonds, known to the public as a Canadian Idol contestant, drops a few solid RB chorus lines in “What They Need”. Other guest performers include Pip Skid, Tachichi and Josh Martinez, all of which are quite highly acclaimed in the underground where the wicked and weird thrive.


4/Four is experimental, but easy to grasp and definitely accessible. There are eclectic samples and masterful scratches throughout every track, making this album a truly loyal product of good underground hip-hop. Kunga 219’s rhymes are funner and actually even tighter than the ones dropped over in his solo project. The Goods’ latest album falls nothing short of a breath of freshness for long-time hip-hop fans, yet its inherent universally catchy sound makes it a wonderful introduction for anyone who hasn’t discovered the underground Canadian hip-hop scene.