For years, New Orleans’ urban sound has been based on organizations like Cash Money and No Limit. But as we reach the latter half of the 2000’s, “The Big Easy” has something completely different to offer listeners, and it comes in the form of brother-duo Al Millio and Kripsy, who combine their talents together and turn into The Knux.

Their debut album, Remind Me In 3 Days… isn’t filled with the typical New Orleans draw that’s usually associated with the region, which is a refreshing approach, because creativity in Hip-Hop has been scarce as of late.

The two kin, (separated by a couple of years) literally keep this album in the family by eliminating the middleman, and handling all productions duties amongst themselves. Their musical journey starts off with the rapid sounds of ‘The List,’ which leads right into ‘F!re (Put It In The Air).’

Over spacey synths, and what sounds like a tambourine in the background, The Knux further reel you in with a catchy sing-a-long hook to go with their colorful lyricism. The full originality of the tandem is showcased on ‘Cappuccino.’ Using quirky instrumentation and heavy guitar riffs, the two go with the theme of the song and incorporate coffee content along with their dating tales. ‘Shine Again’ is one of the more serious songs on the album, with The Knux giving a descriptive overto ne about people making wrong decisions as far as their lives are concerned. ‘Life In A Cage (Electric)’ contains all the elements that a pop song remixed with techno music would sound like, but The Knux continue to break down the barriers of normal Hip-Hop and show their versatility once again.
 
The baseline on ‘Parking Lot’ gives off a feel of A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘I Left My Wallet In El Segundo,’ but The Knux discuss the art of picking up girls instead of losing their ID’s with lines like, “She move like a gypsy, the b*tch never stable/and tryin’ to out her money together like a stable/I met her in the Staple Center/gave her the math, 1-800-Backbender/I put it in her two-way, and said don’t lose that and/she said I never lose my sidekick like Batman.” They continue into left field, (in a good way) with other songs like, ‘The True,’ ‘Wake The F*ck Up,’ ‘Hush,’ and ‘Daddy’s Little Girl.’

With everyone clamoring to standout nowadays, some might think The Knux are just another gimmick trying to get over and attract an alternative audience. But the fact that they actually play their own music should nix the idea of them just being some kind of novelty act. Remind Me In 3 Days… displays what can be achieved when artists stop worrying about how their peers sound, and just focus on perfecting their own craft. Where other performers are scared to take the road less traveled, The Knux embrace their individuality, and pretty soon their road will contain plenty of hitchhikers begging for a ride.