A local clothing company has a shirt that says, “New Orleans, so far behind, we’re ahead” and in the case for most of the local hip-hop that rings half true.

The behind part, that is.

Aside from Lil Wayne, the Cash Money era is over. Master P is now a reality show whore and the rest of the pack are… well; I don’t know to be honest with you.

Enter Impulss, one of the new breed of rapper emerging from a post-Katrina New Orleans who, along side Truth Universal, Jealous Monk are trying their damnedest to let the world known that The Dirty has a lot more to offer than red-colored everything and bling in your teeth.

Mixing a variety of beats with an odd sense of lyrical rhythm, Impulss works to pump the listener up for social change and local prosperity instead of the typical “ get money, get paid” scenario that everyone has beaten into the ground. At times, the flow of the rhyme on Category Shybe begs close to Eminem in the direct way he can connect ideas and words with little trouble, thus impressing the listener with lines such as “I don’t write rhymes to catch a break. / I’m on a path, / every verse is a step I take.”

This is inspiring, more of a call to KRS-1 than to the hood—something hip-hop needs more of. As New Orleans continues to be reborn, let’s hope the local hip-hop community continues its version of rebirth, and this time with no red hats.