It's tempting to equivocate A Filial to a Brazilian Beastie Boys because that gives Americans a superficial indication of the gist of the band's sound and the group itself would probably be flattered. But it's unfair to dismiss the act from Rio de Janeiro as some U.S. pop-culture parasite. These guys owe much more to their own heritage than they do to rap on their new, "$1,99."

Founded by MC Edu Lopes, the group emerged from a bohemian skateboarder background out of a hip-hop collective called the Hemp Family.

A Filial evokes the early rap netherworld of reverberating bass and loose lyrical flow on "$1,99," yet those Portuguese-mixed-with-English lines (MC Ben Lamar grew up in Chicago, hence the bilingualism) follow a more exotic path in their rhythms. The release is flavored with samba, maracatu, ciranda and forro, and powered by horns and both organic and synthetic percussion.

The act's experimental nature often finds it ambling around, although the jazzy grooves validate the improv atmosphere even when the proceedings get muddled. A Filial's humor - whether the MCs are dishing out braggadocio about their sweaters or romping through "Judy Does Judo" - garners additional forgiveness for its misdirections.

Still, even without the extraneous bonuses, the group earns its hip-hop cred with the repeated sweaty minimalism of bone-jarring bass and emphatic vocal delivery on much of "$1,99." The fact A Filial also successfully veers into everything from tropical elevator music ("Maluisa") to throbbing and thrusting hypno-electro ("Like a Baby's Kiss") makes this act far more well-rounded than most American hip-hop.

So call them a Brazilian Beastie Boys if you must, but that's just a starting point.

Rating: 3- 1/2

--Chuck Campbell