Quarashi

Quarashi來自冰島的雷克雅未可，據(jù)說團(tuán)體名稱取自穆斯林先知Muhammad的姓氏，也是其MC Stoney Fjelsted的昵稱。樂隊(duì)組建于1996年，曾在1997年推出過首張專輯，并在冰島取得金唱片銷量。同年應(yīng)邀擔(dān)任Prodigy與Fugees的開場(chǎng)樂隊(duì)，1999樂隊(duì)推出的第二張專輯《Xeneizes》讓他們有機(jī)會(huì)到美國(guó)表演。這張于2001年發(fā)表的《Jinx》更是讓樂隊(duì)進(jìn)入巔峰狀態(tài)，單曲《Stick Em Up》受到大批說唱愛好者的喜愛（該曲被選入熱播劇集《橘子郡男孩》(Orange County)的原聲音樂）。盡管到hip-hop的發(fā)源地美國(guó)推廣他們的說唱音樂似乎是件班門弄斧的事情，甚至有人說他們不過是Bestie Boy的再版，但是這些風(fēng)言風(fēng)語似乎并沒有動(dòng)搖他們的雄心。AMG給他們這張的評(píng)價(jià)也并不高，不過美國(guó)人一向是這副德行，更何況美國(guó)有更走紅的Linkin Park坐陣，歐洲團(tuán)體想來搶飯碗，談何容易！
拋開美國(guó)佬的評(píng)說，單純從音樂上來看，Quarashi的說唱表面上承襲的是金屬說唱的外殼，而音樂根源仍舊是歐洲音樂的血脈。強(qiáng)勁節(jié)奏與靈活又霸道的Bass line、爽猛的吉他失真與三聲部音色各異交錯(cuò)有致的說唱律動(dòng)，出色的Scratch技巧與編配，其流暢與激情實(shí)在更多繼承了北歐金屬樂的風(fēng)骨。
Though Icelandic rap-rock outfit Quarashi finally saw their U.S debut released in early 2002, the band had been honing its music since the mid-'90s. Producer/drummer S?lvi Blondal and vocalists/rappers H?ssi Olafsson, Steini Fjelsted (a former Icelandic skating champion as well as a graffiti artist), and Omar Swarez formed Quarashi (pronounced "kwa-ra'-she") in 1996. The band's name, a term meaning "supernatural," was adopted from a nickname given to Fjelsted. The quartet's full-length debut was recorded in October of 1997. In support of the album, the band opened for the Fugees and the Prodigy, while Blondal remixed the Prodigy's "Diesel Power." In 1999, Quarashi released Xeneizes, selling another 6,000 copies and earning them a second consecutive gold record in Iceland. Jinx, Quarashi's U.S debut, was released in March 2002. The first single, "Stick 'Em Up," was included on the Orange County soundtrack.