Unitron
Many rap metal bands were a lot more metal than hip hop, that's not to diss all those bands, Stuck Mojo is probably my favorite rap metal band but you could just as easily call them a thrash/groove band. From a standpoint of reaching the peak of what a genre can be, I'd say the unfortunately forgotten Shootyz Groove perfected it like no other band prior to the nu metal explosion where better and deeper genre infusion became more common.
When the band name drops both Slayer and A Tribe Called Quest in the liner notes as inspiration, you know you're getting the real deal. These guys have the riffs of a thrash band, the funky hooks of both hip hop and funk metal, and the lyrical flow and performance of a classic hip hop group. The first thing I thought of when I first heard them is if The Pharcyde went metal. The way the two rappers trade off one another and their exuberant delivery reminds me a lot of the aforementioned band, especially in my two favorite tracks In the Ocean and Soulfreak. In the Ocean especially stands out, with the vocals flowing perfectly with the song's thrash riffs.
This is the kind of album that perfectly appeals to both hip hop and metal fans.
