My girl Dana put me onto hip hop duo Backpack Jax, currently based in Nantes, France (by way of Miami). After putting their French written biography through Google Translate, I learned that Backpack Jax – Mauikai and Boogie Monsta – are influenced by jazz and the sounds of their respective backgrounds (Cuban and Iraqi respectively), but the smooth sounds of their rap skills, Mauikai’s singing and the decadent, melodic beats speak for itself. None of that got lost in translation.

Here’s a sample of tunes from Backpack Jax’s forthcoming EP, The Art of Time Travel:

Thoughts?