Founded in the early '90s by a duo of Jewish kids, one from Israel by way of Nigeria, Blood of Abraham grew up in Los Angeles to the sounds of such conscious and gansta hip-hop pioneers as Native Tongues, KRS-One and NWA. After performing alongside Eazy-E and Public Enemy, MCs Benyad and Mazik released their debut album on Eazy's Ruthless records. Although the pair's first album failed to garner much attention, Blood of Abraham went on to work on videos for Nas, Gangstarr and T.I. Now BOA has finally released its sophomore effort. Eyedollartree is an exceptional album filled with strident lyrics; complex, psychedelic beats; and wild-eyed eclecticism. The track "Hurricane" sounds like an outtake of an aborted effort by White Album-era Beatles to score the original film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. "Omegaton" combines Sun Ra-inspired space chants, William Burroughs samples, cosmic piano loops and guest rapping from Kool Keith and Divine Styler. At its political heart, however, Eyedollartree is a well-needed reminder of the corrupting effects of power, money and surveillance.
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