Sprout, Hesta Prynn and Spyro are Northern State, a trio that grew up bessie mates in Long Island, before moving on to The Big Apple. Then one night at one of Hesta Prynn’s parties in the hub of NYC, the girls had a brainwave and decided to form a rap group. Fast forward to 2007 and Northern State are celebrating their seventh birthday with the release of their third and most adventurous album ‘Can I Keep This Pen?’. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear Northern State is a female Beastie Boys, with a healthy helping of Roxanne Shante and a considerable dose of The B52’s, putting new twists on old skool flavours and mixing good times with sassy attitude. Also not being afraid to push the boat out is one of Northern State‚s many attributes, from beat bustin‚ low slung groovers, through to pogo disco rockers, these girls have got it going on. Essential.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: DEAN THATCHER