Ugly Orwell and August are the MC/production duo that comprises Bi-Polar Bear. Their combined efforts result in thumping production effervescent with innovative sample usage. Lyrically, they come across both slick and ferocious, usually simultaneously, which is no easy feat. Their multi-syllabic rhyme schemes, steeped in coffee grit and chronic haze, flip and turn throughout their verses. Groups like this are hip hop’s saving grace; they rap not just for rap’s sake, nor to inflate their own egos, but to enrich and evolve the art form. Though they tout a split personality as their namesake-cum-mascot, there is an inherent harmony that rings long after the album ends. Their upcoming project with Blue Sky Black Death will only add more depth and facets to this rapidly evolving personality disorder. - Broke MC