"If it ain't my time to shine, you're watching the wrong clock" proclaims Knobody halfway through his second record. He could be on to something; for years hip-hop has been polarized, split between brainy backpackers and crass commercial rappers. Lately, that line has diminished: the success of Kanye West and Common suggest that it might be possible for both worlds to exist in one marketplace — heck, even in one person. The Oakland rapper Knobody falls into that same category. He has West's easy-going flow and good-humor, but tracks like "Champion" and "What U Think" have a kind of DJ Toomp darkness that loans the record necessary menace. As a part of the Hieroglyphics crew — the collective founded by Del the Funkee Homosapien — he's surrounded by other artists with a similar aesthetic and drive. Together, they're the new face of hip-hop: focused and determined, all eyes on the right clock.