RedCloud

Though the rap artist RedCloud comes with a variety of labels attached--Hispanic, Native American, West Coast gangsta--his third full-length release manages to transcend all of them in an astonishingly original mix of old-school beats and his own rhyming and production skills. Of course it doesn't hurt that he's helped out by artists of the caliber of Jamaican dancehall star Eek-A-Mouse and Tha Dogg Pound's Kurupt, but his unique retelling of Native American history on the masterfully assembled "Battle of Little Big Horn," blended with the gangsta-style California dreaming of "405" and the cinematic "Boulevard Knights," sets RedCloud apart from his West Coast peers.

Members:
Redcloud (rap vocals);
Glenn McKinney (electric guitar);
Greg McKinney, Sammy Hart (bass guitar);
Shane Newville (programming);
DJ Wise (scratches).

Additional personnel: Eek-A-Mouse, Tonéx (vocals); Def Shepard, Dannu, Jayo Felony, Pigeon John, Lord Zen, Kurupt (rap vocals).

MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/redcloud