The first release under public Enemy leader Chuck D's Slam Jamz imprint, the debut EP from Hyenas in the Desert is like a nocturnal howl in the wilderness, a strange, disquieting sound coming from MC Kendo (Kenneth Walker) and his cohorts as they stalk the outskirts of contemporary hip-hop. Die Laughing's throbbing midtempo jams – combining thick minimalist beats and densely constructed word flows – are a far cry indeed from the sample-happy, crossover spirit of the West Coast sound. Where Coolio coasts in style atop the classic choruses of old R&B hits, the Hyenas work from raw materials like the slapped bass note, skull-crushing back-beat and tightly syncopated rhyme scheme in "Wild Dogs." The Hyenas can quote old-school faves like Whodini and red-hot rave Nas without missing a step, but the music of this crew, from Long Island, in New York, is brash and brusque to the point of brutality.

The Hyenas' secret weapons are Kendo's verbal dexterity and supercharged delivery. He possesses some of Chuck D's bass-y vocal authority but makes no claim to preaching or teaching. In the chilling autobiography "Why Me," Kendo owns up to past criminal exploits and a tragic family history without using one to excuse the other, an expression of vulnerability that feels believable and real. Hyenas in the Desert may be too rough to ever hit the pop charts, but hip-hoppers bored with cheap gangsta poses and hippie-dippie alterna-rap can roam with these lone wolves. (RS 742)

MARK COLEMAN