“Hip-hop force brings tour to Spokane.” – Sweatshop Union
The Sweatshop Union are working overtime.
When the Canadian hip-hop collective came through town in January they were finishing a tour in support of their “Leisure Gang” free limited digital release.
The six-piece rap crew is back at Ugly Bettie’s tonight, and with a new full-length album in tow.
Released last week, “Infinite” features tracks from “Leisure Gang” along with seven new songs, expanding on the hard dance-electronica textures of previous sessions and reinforcing it with straight up, classic hip-hop.
Hard cuts like “Feed,” featuring Snak the Ripper, were made for the battle emcees, while the album’s final song, “Listen Up,” is a soothing a cappella solo acoustic guitar track with R&B vocals on the hook. Sprinkled throughout the album are catchy choruses and positive vibes.
A couple of the emcees in the band have become new dads, and it’s obvious in the way the lyrical content shifts toward family.
Heavyweights in the Pacific Northwest as well as Canada, Sweatshop made a ruckus with its 2011 release “Bill Murray,” which was named Hip-hop Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. They were later featured in URB Magazine’s next top 100.
Sweatshop Union kicks off its “Infinite” tour with support from Mark Schurtz tonight at 9 p.m. at Ugly Bettie’s, 211 N. Division St. $7 cover.