It's remarkable how many fine musicians are getting the flock out of Wilmington, NC, these days to make an international mark. With the overwhelming success local acts like ASG, The Needles and, most recently, Thunderlip have enjoyed, it's safe to say New Hanover County has the rock devotees covered. But what about hip-hop? How can any place be a scene to be reckoned with when there are no legit B-boys mixing it up? Fear not, Tarheels. Here comes MindsOne.

The collective effort of four enthusiasts--rhymers Konscience (Joe Latterner), Treason (Trey Smith) and Tronic (Scott Miller) along with turntablist DJ Noumenon (Patrick Hanrahan)--MindsOne brings thinking man's rap in the vein of A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets and the better Wu releases to the Port City and beyond. Their debut release, The Time Space Continuum, returns us to spiritually enlightened wordplay that once defined hip-hop culture, an endangered genre due to rap's retarded decline into a crunked-up, Kristal-flooded strutfest. (Ya hear that, P Diddy? It's 11:00 at night. Take those stupid sunglasses off!) "End Of The Line," the opening song on TTSC, could've been taken from Genius/ GZA's still-untouchable Liquid Swords--relentless yet smooth, like Ben Bourgeois threading an unforgiving West Oz slab. Meanwhile, the title track and "City Of God" are a bit more agile and dodging, like Jordan taking someone's ass to the hole. "Mysterioso" is improvisational and daring. Think Kenny Hughes ollieing, flipping and grinding any downtown obstacle that presents itself. While today's "pop-hop" most wanted seem more concerned with polishing their gold teef and hitting clubs in post-millennium zoot suits than they are with making good music, MindsOne injects intelligent cuts of jazz, blues and funk into their scratchy equation of beats and lyricism.

The Time Space Continuum will undoubtedly open a Pandora's box of rumors to spread the truth about what Wilmington, NC, is capable of producing outside of professional athletes and killer rock bands: true hip-hop. By Matt Pruett