Thug Life Army

It's no secret that over the past decade or so the mainstream world of rap & hip hop music went from a relatively creative genre to another formulaically regurgitated major label pop music product. In response to these distasteful trends and as the popularity of the internet grew, an entirely new underground hip hop market emerged. But eventually many independent hip hop artists lost their appeal with struggling attempts to be different from the mainstream and secure their market niche.

In an effort to prove that hope still exists for independent hip hop, rap artist Chi-rho has teamed up with producer Blitz and Optive Productions to release his debut album ''Oralgami.''

After Chi-rho's (pronounced shy-row, due to his Chicago nativity) song ''Art Season'' was featured on Comedy Central's smash hit program Chappelle's Show in 2003, hip-hop fans around the world began a desperate quest to find out who Chi-rho was and how they could acquire his music. Considering that the 12th episode of Chappelle's Show's first season did not feature any musical credits whatsoever, the fact that many fans actually located Chi-rho shows a true dedication. Chi-rho and Optive Productions still have hope.

An obvious play on the traditional Japanese art of origami, Chi-rho's album, ''Oralgami'' provides an honest look into the mind, ego, emotions, and dreams of this hip hop artist. From serious to lighthearted, sarcastic to endearing, catchy to explanatory, this achievement demonstrates an ability to keep the appeal that true hip hop fans forgo sleep and meals for, while avoiding the black hole boobytrap of artistic acquiescence.

Chi-rho's ''Oralgami'' is now available online at www.XPhiphop.com , iTunes, and Napster.