ALERT

What do Beethoven, Bach and Humble Beast’s Alert have in common? They all have created an opus. An opus is a musical composition that is usually numbered according to the order of publication. Alert (Boogalu on vocals, Moral One on drums, AJ Clutch on guitar and Boom on bass) brings us “Red Opus 45? which puts you in mind of a christian version of The Roots. In an industry full of music programs and samples upon samples-”Red Opus 45? is a breath of fresh air. Well, let’s breathe it in.

ALL I SEE IS RED(FEATURING CATALINA BELLIZZI)-This track is a beautiful way to start off the album. The lyrics are very powerful and the “red” imagery is very vivid. Boogalu verses put you in the mind of Nas. Boogalu is able to speak on so many different things, but makes it all relevant within the song and keeps it on point. Catalina Bellizzi does a great job. Her vocals are angelic and brings a sense of peace to the track. She balances Boogalu’s darkness within his verses. This track is a REPEAT OFFENDER!

RED VAPORS(FEATURING PROPAGANDA)- First off, Moral one does a great job on the drums. He gives the track that old school flavor. Boogalu has a way with letting his first bar be so powerful that it draws you into his verses. The “vacuüm” analogy is great that he uses. Propaganda does a great job and let’s us know what we should be chasing in life. Lyrically, Boogalu and Propaganda sharpen each other. The chorus is addictive and the breakdown at the end of the track reminds you of Timberland’s production in his prime.

RED DAWNING-I can truly hear this track on the radio. The feel for the track is so peaceful and relaxing. The track gives comfort in being who you are and strength in pursing your dreams. “We need more touching, then touch screens” is a true bar brought by Boogalu. He also let’s the listeners know the best Revelation that we can receive is love. The chorus is great and really takes you to another place. I got lost within this song. I won’t be surprised If I saw this track featured on a movie or on mainstream radio.

RED SPADE-Boogalu once again brings it lyrically. He breaks down the problems within mankind’s sin nature. He lets the listener know that God has all of our “mug shots” on record. He also speaks on how turning cheeks isn’t appealing to us and how selfishness is the greatest villain we deal with. There is no way you can get everything he is breaking down in one listen. Boogalu’s wordplay is serious! This is a “man in the mirror” track and really brings forth conviction and a reality check. This is a REPEAT OFFENDER!

Overall, I give this album a 4. This is a “right now” album. Alert brings so much to hip hop that is needed. The social issues that are brought up within this album are on point and challenge you to look at your life. They don’t come off as “preachy” and is transparent throughout the album. The MUSIC is great. The band brings so much to Boogalu’s lyrics. They mesh well. I can’t wait for their next project. As far as all the artists and fans of hip hop that are out there that think it’s dead…you are on RED alert. Spread The Soup. - George Chican

I had heard of MC Boogalu, but I’ll be honest I never really looked into his work. Here we are now and his band Alert is signed to new CHH powerhouse label Humble Beast. Humble Beast has been proving all year that they can release quality music for free consistently. Alert released a free EP called “Red Opus .45” and let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised at all ends of the short project.
Alert is a combination of the Roots with their live instrumentation and just talented emceeing by Boogalu. The whole EP is bangin’ allow me to say that first and follow that by saying that it’s bangin’ music with a message. Boogalu is like a reporter in this EP letting the world know if its surroundings. The single “All I See Is Red” is the first track off the EP and it does just that. I think what makes this EP stand out from the usual live instrumentation project is that there are interludes in the songs. It’s not just your standard verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus. We get blessed to hear the sound of the actual band that encompasses the Alert name.
In order to not give away the whole EP, after an interlude (which I actually found pointless, on a 5-track EP) we get my favorite song “Red Dawning”. I think this track is the climax of the EP, everything was great in this song, from the extremely catchy hook, to the instrumentation and Boogalu’s verses. As I stated earlier Boogalu acts as a reporter to the world around him, reporting the problems in our society. However at the same time he always proposes the solution to the problems, Christ, love, peace and everything in between.
Alert has me hyped for the album that they’re working on, because this EP was straight amazing, I was surprised and impressed by what this band brought to the table. Go and download Alert’s “Red Opus .45” because it is an amazing EP. The only knock I had against the project was the interlude “Red Flection” I just think for an EP that was only 5 tracks the interlude kind of took away one of those tracks. But that minor knock should not stop you from downloading the free EP. - Michael Stover

The latest artist to join the small ranks of the Humble Beast family is the hip hop group Alert. The group was formed by Boogalu (emcee) and Moral One (drums). After playing solo shows and with other groups, they formed Alert, with Dan "Boom" Jones on bass and AJ Alvarez playing guitar. They released an independent album called Indian Colors in 2010, and for their Humble Beast debut, they're dropping a five-track joint called Red Opus .45 EP.
Alert's influences range all across the board, but the artists they really remind me of mostly are groups like The Roots and 4th Avenue Jones. The fact that they use real instruments during the recording process, which give it an outstanding organic feel, is the biggest reason those artists are brought to mind. The musicians in Alert sound very professional, and they also give the music a true hip hop feel. Some hip hop crews attempt the live instrument aspect without actually successfully pulling it off. But Alert knows what they're doing, and every moment of their playing sounds great. Boogalu is also a very skilled emcee who can definitely hang with Ahmad (4th Avenue Jones) or Thought (The Roots). He's quick-witted and versatile, and he uses his gift to consistently drop knowledge on us when he's speaking.
Red Opus .45 is five tracks long, with the middle track, "Red Flection," being an interlude. All the songs are good, but I would have to say that "Red Vapors" and "Red Spade" are my favorite tracks. The other songs are just as good, but for some reason these two stick out to me a lot more. "Red Vapors" features a guest verse from fellow Humble Beast emcee, Propaganda. In addition to Boogalu's hard-hitting lyrics, an added verse from the impeccable Propaganda makes for an obvious highlight. Not to mention, his flow also works really well in conjunction with the band. This song, as well as the other three, are very street-smart - in both sound and message. They have a heart to reach the lost that live in the harder parts of the city, as evidenced in the opening track, "All I See Is Red."
Alert is pure hip hop talent. It's obvious from the very start of the EP that the musicians are extremely skilled, and that Boogalu's rhymes are air-tight. All the years they've spent in the game has done a lot for them. Four songs of solid hip hop make up the Red Opus .45 EP, making it a must-have for fans of the genre. And guess what - it's a free download, just like every album from Humble Beast artists. Go give it a listen, or buy it on iTunes if you'd prefer to support them. It's definitely worth it. They're planning to have a full-length album for us sometime in 2011, and I'm expecting brilliance.
- Review date: 4/10/11, written by Scott Fryberger for Jesusfreakhideout.com - Scott Fryberger