Ams Uno Animated Stagnation

• Words: Luciana Lopez
• Label: CommonWealth
• XLR8R Rating: /10

Rhode Island isn’t exactly a hip-hop hotbed, but it still managed to spawn trio ClokWorx, rapper Ams Uno’s crew. Uno aims to be one of hip-hop’s prophets, but he does best when he’s least self-conscious about that goal. On “Uno Potato,” for example, with a deft twisting of nursery rhymes, Uno’s slightly nasal flow makes his point playfully. In contrast, the reggae-inflected “Soul Contribution” wears its ambition too nakedly. Still, Uno shows a range that even some seasoned MCs never develop, from the spare, quick-moving “Standing in the Reign” to “The Uninvited,” with a percussion break that mirrors his crazed lyrics. Maybe Rhode Island deserves a spot on the hip-hop map after all.