the band has developed a unique sound as a result of their influences, including: rock, funk, brass band, blues, jazz, hip hop, electronic, and world music. many of their songs include performances by other artists of various styles of music, like hip-hop artists boots riley (of the coup), gift of gab (of blackalicious) and chali 2na (of jurassic 5), to vocalists macy gray, mavis staples, allen toussaint, irma thomas, david shaw, mystikal, mannie fresh, and jj grey & mofro. on the european version of from the corner to the block there are two tracks more than on the us version. one of those tracks ("valley of pain") features the german rapper dendemann.