You might have guessed this already, but N.A.S.A. has nothing to do with the international space agency. So we’re not talking rappers in space – rather it’s about unifying North America and South America in music by Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, two friends united in ambition at a party in Sao Paulo. In six years the pair have put together an ambitious project that brings in the likes of Tom Waits and George Clinton to an assorted mix of rappers. The gravelly voice of Waits is especially good on ‘Spacious Thoughts’, while M.I.A. adds some distinctive ‘question-mark’ vocals to ‘Whachadoin?’ David Byrne, meanwhile, brings a touch of Englishness to ‘Money’, an effective collision with Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge and Z-Trip. Sometimes the sheer weight of the guest list is too much to take, so that some voices get swamped, but when it works the dynamics of the rappers and vocalists are really good.
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood