How’s this for a recommendation? Once, yours truly kicked it at Pete Miser’s crib back when he lived in Portland, Oregon. Not only is he a seriously dope graphic artist and certified Krylon fiend, but he fronted legendary Port-town outfit Five Fingers of Funk, lacing their lysergic grooves with his own old-school-influenced MC rhymes. Mr. Miser now dwells in Brooklyn, and from the sounds of things, he’s been up to some new tricks. Radio Free Brooklyn is exactly what we should be hearing more of from NYC hip-hop-Miser has a genuine love of the artform, and it shows in the beats, which revel in MC EZ/Special Ed-esque stupid freshness. As he explains, “not a has-been yet but I ain’t no rookie neither/got an offbeat style to make you dance or have a seizure.” Miser can get serious too: the title track details life in the shadow of 9/11’s Ground Zero, “Ho-Made” addresses bigotry, and “Got That” stresses the value of friendship over materialism. At times, Miser’s breakbeat funk is reminiscent of Tommy Guererro and Gadget, but that’s OK-Miser skates, too.