1977

A seasoned performer who divides her time between France and Chile, Ana Tijoux makes her U.S. solo debut with this disc, named for the year of her birth. On the cover, she wears simple jeans and a flannel shirt and doesn't meet the camera's eye; the introspective seriousness of her approach is made clear before a note is heard. Though she came to broad public attention within the Latin pop market by delivering a guest verse on Julieta Venegas' "Eres Para Mi" in 2006, Tijoux isn't an extroverted MC like Mala Rodriguez, or U.S. female rappers like Nicki Minaj or even Missy Elliott. Instead, she rattles off her lines in a near monotone, hitting the beats with calm and precision. The music behind her is all echoed samples of horns and strings, plus the occasional bit of scratching -- mostly funky and occasionally lurching, these are jazzy beats firmly rooted in the tradition of DJ Premier, DJ Cam, DJ Krush, and other '90s classicists. Ana Tijoux has no interest in getting the club jumping.