Gotta Be Karim: 10,000 Apples

St. Louis MC Gotta Be Karim recently relocated to Atlanta, and he brought his brand of gritty, inventive, underground rhymes with him. On 10,000 Apples — available for free on his MySpace page — he gives listeners a primer on his style. With throaty, sly vocals that recall Vast Aire and aggressive tales of street encounters and professional struggles, he's a master of atmospheric, metaphor-heavy hip-hop. Sealing the deal are beats from associate Black Spade, whose 2008 Om Records debut To Serve With Love was one of last year's best. Spade's production is sometimes slow and eerie, sometimes lively and inspiring. Highlights include "Yeah Kidd," "Natural Resources" and "Black Tee." (As a bonus, check out the pair's ridonkulously fun new track "Drink More Water" on Karim's page.) 10,000 Apples is energizing and intelligent throughout, and leaves one expecting even more from Karim now that he's here. 4 out of 5 stars