On August 31, 2006, ISWHAT?! will release ‘The Life We Chose,’ featuring 14 brand new tracks bursting at the seams with pith and vinegar. The album signals a major evolution for ISWHAT?!, which is assisted in no small part by its guest artists who bring a broad spectrum of sonic colors and styles to the table. However, in the end it’s the giant steps made by Napoleon Maddox and Jack Walker at their respective crafts that makes their long-awaited follow up so extraordinary.
‘The Life We Chose’ is a fierce, modern hip-hop statement. And concurrently, it’s a progressive, forward-looking jazz record. Created by a one-of-a-kind pairing of artists who are not at all inclined to allow the inimitability of such a combination carry the day, they deliver music of purpose, conviction and inspiration. In the words of one of Napoleon Maddox’s heroes Chuck D., it’s a collection of songs meant to “Fight the Power.” In the spirit of one of Jack Walker’s heroes Rahsaan Roland Kirk, it’s music created as a “Theme For The Eulipions.”
