Featuring a stellar cast of progressively minded hip-hop artists, The Unbound Project is dedicated to Philadelphia activist and death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal and is conceptually centered on the meaning of freedom. Scenarios range from Reflection Eternal's lively present-day analysis on "The Human Element" to acclaimed Philly spoken-word poet Ursula Rucker (whose words have closed each of the Roots' albums) revisiting the horrors of slavery on the eerily ambient "Soon." With additional contributions from veterans Chuck D and Poor Righteous Teachers, and relative newcomers such as dead prez and Talib Kweli (of Black Star and Reflection Eternal), The Unbound Project brings together politically conscious hip-hop artists of different eras, providing evidence of a burgeoning grassroots resurgence. Its primary function, however, is as a compelling critique of U.S. socio-economic conditions and the criminal (in)justice system. --Del F. Cowie