It’s incredible how after only three years and just one studio album Winnipeg’s hip-hop ambassadors The Lytics have matured so strikingly with their sophomore release They Told Me.

Long since the success of the group’s eponymous 2009 debut, which featured such hits as Stay Humble and Big City Soundgirl, the five-piece crew’s latest disc is a more lavishly produced and sonically fluid product, reinforced by tight lyricism and a consistent, overarching theme.

They Told Me is a collection of 13 tracks, from the introspective to anthemic, that sees the group maintain their youthful idealism while grappling with topics and ideas developed over years of touring and making ends meet in the rap game.

Like a younger incarnation of Philadelphia’s Roots Crew or Oakland’s Hieroglyphics, The Lytics combine the evolving talents of three emcees (Andrew.O, Munga and Ashy) with the smooth jazz-hop and often synthed-out stylings of DJ Lonnie Ce and producer B-Flat.

The result is a record that exudes a brand of positivism and social consciousness reminiscent of early ‘90s hip hop, invigorated by modern subject matter and a commitment to three core elements of the genre: beats, rhymes and life.

From the inspiring words of Toot Your Own Horn (which encourages listeners to “bust through the stereo (and) run up on the radio (to) scream ‘till the speakers blow”) to the poppy and hook-laden single Stay Calm, there is something for every appetite on They Told Me.

And while it may take a third album to solidify The Lytics’s reputation outside of Canada, fans can rest assured knowing the group’s maturity and ambition will continually lead it to success.

In the meantime, They Told Me is a fresh alternative to the presently commercialized radio rap, and is among the finest hip-hop records to ever come out of Winnipeg.

Published in Volume 67, Number 10 of The Uniter (November 7, 2012)