“Exotic” can be something of a pejorative term, an easy, somewhat dismissive catch-all for any art that’s deemed foreign or unfamiliar. Soulico’s Exotic on the Speaker is both of those things, but it couldn’t be titled much more appropriately. The Tel Aviv-based hip-hop quartet’s latest disc defies pigeonholing with a sound that’s far-reaching, deftly executed and not like much that’s gone before it – in a word, exotic. It wasn’t too long ago that the very concept of Israeli hip-hop would have been viewed as a novelty (remember all the “Hey, this Hasidic rapper guy is actually pretty good!” stories about Matisyahu a few years back?), but the recent visibility of international rap artists has raised the bar considerably. Soulico’s four-man DJ crew clears that hurdle with room to spare. A lot of Exotic on the Speaker’s appeal lies in its self-assured cultural identity. The beats here are unmistakably steeped in Middle Eastern rhythms, but the Israeli folk and disco sounds never overwhelm the dancehall vibe. The blending of old and new world styles on tracks like “El Nur” and “DarboukaTron” sometimes brings to mind M.I.A. (whose collaborator Rye Rye turns in a killer flow on Exotic’s title track), but Soulico takes a more accessible approach. It’s easy to imagine cuts like the anthemic “Pitom Banu” or the affably goofy “Bo Be Easy” (both featuring the reggaeton flows of Axum) booming out of a packed nightclub. Elsewhere, the album veers into electro-pop (“Come Back,” featuring Onili), Beck-style indie-disco (“Avood Meahava,” featuring Oren Barzilay) and trance-y worldbeat (“1000 Nights,” featuring Ravid Khalni). As you may have noticed, Exotic on the Speaker doesn’t skimp on the guest spots. While most of these spotlight lesser known artists, Soulico also provides a winning platform for a few high-profile performers. The biggest of those is Ghostface Killah, who opens the album with a workmanlike verse (“I’m a gem / Keep a stem just to twist in the leaf / Fuck a swine / I’ll be the first to bring you beef”). Lyrics Born’s super-fast rhymes blend easily into the bouncy “Put ‘Em Up,” while Quannum label-mate Pigeon John bends “SOS” around his plainspoken delivery. Del tha Funkee Homosapien continues his streak of totally owning on DJ projects with the infectiously funky “Politrix.” It speaks well of Soulico that these interlopers come off as organic to the music and not the other way around. In an indie hip-hop scene dominated by portent and pretense, it’s a refreshing treat to find a group making music that’s flat-out fun. Yes, there’s plenty of artistry and history lurking behind Soulico’s scenes, but it’s hard to think too long on that when you’re bobbing your head to the beats. Recommended Tracks: "Politrix", "1000 Nights", "Exotic on the Speaker" -Ira Brooker