The Snooze Button is definitely not an album to be taken lightly or slept on. It's properly titled and boasts a myriad of tracks that will make any fan of Hip Hop remember why they enjoyed emcees in the first place.
ARTIST(S): Annex (@annexhiphop) ALBUM: The Snooze Button LP
OVERALL RATING:
The Snooze Button is definitely not an album to be taken lightly or slept on. It's properly titled and boasts a myriad of tracks that will make any fan of Hip Hop remember why they enjoyed emcees in the first place. There's a total of 12 tracks, including intro and outro; and the production ranges from hard drops and bass lines to smooth production with insightful lyrics.
The opening track, "Respect My Carpet" jumps off with an authoritative flow and anthemic production. Annex makes it clear he understands the limitations of lyrical emcees, while still demanding the respect for his craft as an artist.
He follows it up with "Over My Dead Body," that features hard hitting production along with the slightly dismissive tone we once knew emcees to thrive off of. In one of his verses, he has the following advice for the younger generation: "Smarten up young thug / they want you talking about the guns and the drugs / they love to hear you ni**as scream no love / it's fuel for the agenda before they pull the rug"
This album has a lot of gems for thought mixed within the wordplay, and it will take a few listens to catch all the lines. The good part about this project is that most tracks will actually make you want to listen again. The delivery and texture of his voice flows well with the production of the tracks; so, it makes for a good listen. His ability to transform his delivery is obvious in tracks like "On My J.O." and "Don't Remind Me."
The features on this project from Laws, Vayga, imagiin360, Knucklez, Mike Mass, Aja Lorraine, Laz, J. Scriptz, B. Worthy and Jae Luis bring their own style to the respective tracks they appear on. His ability to pick good features was one of the things that gave him a good rating. So many times, features take away from the album, and for the most part, his features didn't water down the project at all.
Nonetheless, the few weak points of the album were on tracks like "This World," where the mellow feel was definitely needed, but it lacked the impact it could have had with a hook was mixed with a bit more strength and the production had a few more buildups in the instrumental.
Some of the mixes on the instrumentals clashed a bit as in the track, "On My J.O." that should have probably had horns on a different octave so as not to take from the vocalist. Other than that, the only lacking element from the album was the fluidity between tracks. This could have been a good storyline album, but it lacked the cohesive interludes to phase in between tracks.
Overall, the project was solid and a must have for any Hip Hop enthusiast that loves raw indie rap with no filters. Annex not only found his voice, but stepped his character up a bit more through the years and it shows in every verse he drops on this album. Seeing the growth from the last project was indeed refreshing.
We'll finalize this review with the following Annex line from his outro track: "You're self-driven if you're doing what you love / but understand that even the best of us benefit from a shove."
There has been a common eclectic theme in the more refined emcees these days, and Black Milk is no exception. His latest release, No Poison No Paradise, can be considered one of his more musically mature projects.
ARTIST(S): Black Milk
ALBUM: No Poison No Paradise
OVERALL RATING:
There has been a common eclectic theme in the more refined emcees these days, and Black Milk is no exception. His latest release, No Poison No Paradise, can be considered one of his more musically mature projects. From start to finish, this project has a mixture of hard-hitting production with musical arrangements you might find on an Erykah Badu album.
This project keyed in on Black Milk's ability to adapt and experiment with his delivery over sometimes random production; which was the strength of this project. From the start of "Interpret Sabotage," the beats are solid and the vocalists in tracks like this and "Parallels" definitely compliment the track and fit well with the production.
Another feature of this project is the wide array of instrumentals, whether they are intro, outros or full length interludes. The production definitely focused on providing a more musically rounded theme around deep drops, thoughtful lyrics and artsy jams like "Sonny Jr." and "X Chords" that simply fit the overall feel of the album.
One thing that is obvious from this album is that Black Milk doesn't mind experimenting, and he pulls it off well with tracks like "Black Sabbath," where he completely dominated the delivery over tight-knit drums and a grunge-like sound selection. Truthfully, sometimes the experimenting went a bit far and didn't blend well as in "Poison," where the background vocals clashed with his own vocals. Nonetheless, he still pulls off some deep thought in lyric with lines like, "What does it all mean, to lose your soul to try to live an american dream / fuck a life here, I'd rather go to sleep and live inside my nightmare."
If you like experimental production and slick wordplay, this is definitely an album you will want in your collection. The only down sides to this project were that in some tracks like, "Deion's House" where the overall production of the song wasn't bright enough and became a bit monotonous. While the lyrics were on point in "Codes and Cab Fare" from both Black Milk and Black Thought, the production just left the listener wanting a little more impact.
Overall, the album was well put together, musically mature and definitely one that lyricists will appreciate. Take some time to check out the video for "Sunday's Best" and "Monday's Worst;" which seemed like a good duo of contrast concepts.
Without a doubt, Cambatta has been a boot slap favorite for a while with good reason. His ability to weave random mental pictures with insightful messages makes him one of the more respected emcees.
Artist: Cambatta Mixtape: Smoke & Mirrors: The Porch
OVERALL RATING:
Without a doubt, Cambatta has been a boot slap favorite for a while with good reason. His ability to weave random mental pictures with insightful messages makes him one of the more respected emcees. This mixtape is no exception to the consistency he puts out, and anyone who is a Cambatta fan will not be disappointed by this release.
His conversational rap style does his intro justice, with flutes bringing in a smooth, feel good type of vibe on the production. Despite his laid back style of delivery; his lyrics are rampant with clear wordplay over strong punch lines. Listening closely, tracks like Brief Conversation unfold with the following lines, "As I analyze life, question every facet / like what it really takes to get that legendary status."
His genuine feelings seem to come out on this mixtape, and anyone who enjoys analyzing life will appreciate his views and presentation of experiences and thoughts.
Like with most lyrical artists, there's always a smoke song, and Cambatta doesn't hesitate to drop one on his project called, The Chronic. Though it doesn't sound any bit like a Dr. Dre masterpiece; this artist paints his own legendary work with a feature from Rafijah Siano. This track is a definite repeat "offender" on the radio controls.
The thing with this project is that it's an easy mixtape to play on repeat and enjoy the vibe to. The mixes and production are strong and clean; and the composition of the music from the beats to the lyrics are simply THAT good.
The only downsides from this side that we could identify on this project were a few mixes that could have used more power on the kick frequencies and a few clean bass drops that could have filled in some air on a few tracks. Harry The Tubman was one of those tracks that were really great in concept and composition; but the mix took a little away from the impact of it. Nonetheless, listening from a lyrics and beat making perspective; the tracks that had these issues were still CLEARLY great tracks; which resulted in a high rating.
Overall, the album is SOLID. There's no question those who enjoy lyrics, laid back and heavy beats along with clear messages will appreciate what Cam brings on this project. This will definitely be on our MP3 rotations.
From "Bump This" to "Bail My Mind," this mixtape motivates a person to put up the house and cards for the game, so to speak. The feelings of nostalgia quickly rush to any listener that remembers the golden age NYS mind state sound of Nas.
Artist(s): Annex Mixtape: Plan 4 Success Mixtape (2011)
Overall Rating:
This mixtape is definitely REFRESHING! It seems like this year's been one with long intros, and this album is definitely no exception (oh lord, sigh); but then the beat drops in and ears go completely at ease again. From the beginning of that drop, it was apparent that this review would be a good one.
From "Bump This" to "Bail My Mind," this mixtape motivates a person to put up the house and cards for the game, so to speak. The feelings of nostalgia quickly rush to any listener that remembers the golden age NYS mind state sound of Nas.
Annex exhibits a strong control over his flow and delivery, and he seems to know what beats fit him best throughout the mixtape. Some of his delivery is reminiscent of AZ, and while that's a compliment, this will be the main challenge for Annex. Stepping away from that sound and creating more of his own will be critical for his growth as an artist.
There are definitely "album fillers" in this mixtape, but not enough to bring the ratings down. Tracks like "Shit Happens" which didn't have the strength of his initial tracks; and "Lights On, Lights Off" seemed to be an attempt at appealing to clubs and a larger demographic. This just seemed a bit out of place on this album, or wasn't the best selection for this particular project.
Overall, the tracks and beat selection were on point with him as an artist, so it's clear the producer had a good feel for the artist and his angle of delivery. This chemistry is so critical, and they pulled it off very well. This is definitely a project you can listen to straight through.
Lyrically speaking, Annex brought his A-Game. His ability to change his pitch and direction will determine his ability to make himself distinct from other artists that are probably influences of his musical preference, but with his talent, there's no doubt he can pull it off.
If you love Hip Hop, you will want to listen to this album. He's got some relevant tracks and shows a great promise. As we looked forward to this album, we continue to look forward to MORE of Annex in the coming months here at BSR. He's definitely become one of our most notable on talent alone.
So, we decided to peep out Kembe X's new joint titled SELF RULE for a 2nd Round review. Most times, artists have a hard enough time getting just a few good songs in ONE project; much less a group of successive projects that show TRUE growth.
Artist(s): Kembe X Mixtape: Self Rule Mixtape (2011)
Overall Rating:
So, we decided to peep out Kembe X's new joint titled SELF RULE for a 2nd Round review. Most times, artists have a hard enough time getting just a few good songs in ONE project; much less a group of successive projects that show TRUE growth. As usual, his ability to create intricate wordplay is probably the most ingenious part of his delivery.
He starts off the project with an inspiring Malcolm X speech for the intro. Their mix and choice of background music was definitely well done. This is actually something that could be said about a lot of the project, overall. The choice in production matched the lyrics extremely well throughout the project.
From "Introlude" with its smooth delivery and laid back production, to "Quarter and a Nightmare" with its odd use of melodies over smooth lines of rhythm; Kembe's ability to weave a story that pulls in the listener is undeniable. Any listener will notice, right away, that not only is Kembe X able to adapt easily to various rhythms; but his choice of production is phenomenal.
Some tracks worth a DEFINITE mention are, "Patience," which helped bring the project back into perspective and made it come alive midway when the track tempos starting blurring together. This track is a definite REPEAT BUTTON CULPRIT! The only thing it could have used was less saturation on the distortion of the vocals of the hook. It was a bit heavy and could have balanced out a bit better to sound less gritty.
Between "Backwards" with its old school "Midnight Marauder's" feel, and smooth bass riffs and woodwinds of "Don't Quit;" it's clear his influences are not just constrained to recent music. Kembe X seems to be rooted in MUCH MORE than today's superficial digi-songs. His music reaches back out to the listener and incites that old warm feel Chi-Town artists are known well for.
While we have a lot of good to say about this project, and the ratings speak the same; there were some slight downsides to the project that could have used some work. "Cold Summer" loses a little momentum, which he makes up with his ability to paint a picture with lyrics. "Don't Quite" could have used a little more work on the bridge and the feature artist, Alex Wiley, could have had better breath control in his delivery.
Despite the very minute flaws on this project; the quality, wordplay, production and overall mix puts Kembe X on a different playing field than many indie artists who are still trying to mature their sound. Peep out the download and HEAR HIP HOP REVIVING FIRST HAND!
If you thought lyricism and horror-core rap was something of the past, you obviously haven't heard the Da Goldminers latest LP, THE GOLDEN ERA.
Artist(s): Da Goldminerz Mixtape: The Golden Era (2011)
Overall Rating:
If you thought lyricism and horror-core rap was something of the past, you obviously haven't heard the Da Goldminers latest LP, THE GOLDEN ERA. Hailing out of the Tampa, FL area, by way of that up north feel; they bring a dynamic face to the once underground scene that flourished back in the 90's. With a new twist in production by Simon Roofless, the team goes in on what most lovers of lyricism will find to be a haven of poetic ingenuity.
Opening the album with the eerie story plot of aliens who invade earth for interludes; the listener already can catch a small hint of what's up and coming. What every listener who doesn't know this crew will NOT be ready for is the array of lyrics that will be thrown at them throughout the rest of this album.
From the beginning of the album, "In the Flesh" starts it off with a blend of lyrics and a heavy beat that Roofless is known well for. "What You Gonna Do" is reminiscent of a mix between CELLA DWELLAS and GRAVEDIGGAZ; and for those who know those two old school crews, it will become glaringly obvious that this is definitely not your average Tampa crew.
Some stand out tracks on this album were "Pick Axez" that was a definite REPLAY track. While "The Plan" doesn't have the strongest start to it, it quickly picks up the pace with dangerous wordplay and one of those hooks that told its own story like emcees used to do. While the production mix was not what I would have preferred, "Keep Shit Raw" still did its justice in lyrics. "Historical" was definitely the perfect outro track to the album. Here's some quotable for readers to chew on.
"Precise aim with the slingshot and rock / pop your emperor and skate with the book of Enoch / we roll up on you niggaz like a gang of ewoks / I'm hip hop, Timbs and Adidas, no Nikes and Reeboks" - Simon Roofless from "Keep Shit Raw"
"End of this coming with a disasterous knock / it's the madness wit the shock causing strains to your voicebox / order more shots than clientele to bartenders / I send ya to the end of the year, like your stuck in december"- Duh Nokah from "Historical"
While the production is unquestionably professional and clean, there is a hint of mixing that lacks in the production specifically. While the old school sound is almost undeniably concentrated on lyrics, the need for some of those background sounds like the FLUTE and STRUMMING on "Killin Senses;" or the background sounds on "Starvin Artists;" and the weightier sounds on "Inception" would have definitely made it sound a bit more impactful overall.
In conclusion, if you are LYRICISM FAN, you will definitely enjoy this album. If you're looking to shake your ass to some club music that you would hear on commercial radio, you might as well keep it moving. This is an album made SPECIFICALLY for the Hip Hop heads that enjoy substance and storyline music.
ALBUM RATINGS
Production:
Lyrics:
Mix:
OVERALL:
CD AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! Due to overwhelming bootlegging, Da GoldMinerz has decided to keep their copies strictly on the physical CD level. You can purchase a copy on their official website.
SUPPORT HIP HOP CULTURE AND STOP STEALING MUSIC!!!
Annex is one of those artists that seeps quality in every aspect of his mixtape. For the Hip Hop enthusiast, this mixtape will be a breath of fresh air and a definite "bar-raiser" for many.
Artist(s): Annex Mixtape: The Lost Era (2011)
Overall Rating:
OK, so it's been a while since an artist has completely impressed me in both lyrics and delivery. Annex is one of those artists that seeps quality in every aspect of his mixtape. For the Hip Hop enthusiast, this mixtape will be a breath of fresh air and a definite "bar-raiser" for many.
Opening up with soulful melodies in production, and well-delivered wordplay, from start to finish, there's very little bad to say about this mixtape. "History Repeated" sets the stage for his real life outlook on music and artistry by painting the picture of women who are left alone to raise children. We've heard this content before, but Annex's pictures are delivered quite differently as he tells his listeners to, "… remember that knowledge has an infinite wealth and history has a way of repeating itself."
He continues hammering away with track after track of straight heat with songs like "Coffee House" that display his lyrical genius along with a slick swing on production; to "Scratch On Em" that brings his more candid thoughts on other artists as he tells his listeners that his, "… crosshairs are aimed at any rapper that I question..."
One track of notable mention is "Never Be Free" that touches on the various world dilemmas that we at times forget in our pursuits for fame and parties. It can almost be guaranteed that Conspiracy Theory students will LOVE this track without a doubt!
Now, EVERY album and mixtape is never 100% perfect, so there are a few key downsides to some tracks on this mixtape, but most of them have to do with mixes or simply his reaching a bit far to sound a little different. Tracks like "Apologies" were a bit overpowering on the high end frequencies, and "City Life" was a bit overpowering on the low end frequencies. The "Show You How To Rock" track was simply just not fitting any other feel on the mixtape, and probably should have been pushed outside of this mixtape.
Other than a few hooks that could have been done differently and a slight drop in delivery in "Celebrate the BS," there's not much else to criticize on this mixtape. This is a MUST HAVE for anyone who truly loves Hip Hop music. Annex is most definitely an emcee from a LOST ERA!
So, MB4 was sent to us for review; and initially, we had the usual, "Oh, here goes another white boy anthem rapper." We were definitely NOT expecting what we heard.
Artist(s): MB4
Overall Rating:
So, MB4 was sent to us for review; and initially, we had the usual, "Oh, here goes another white boy anthem rapper." We were definitely NOT expecting what we heard. What we found was a talented emcee that's gritty vocal sound most of these so-called "rappers" should take heed to.
With an album called, "White Boy Wasted," you would expect the usual regurgitated Beastie Boys swag, but MB4 presents his own brand of poetic fluidity with quality production that will definitely make some serious noise in the Hip Hop community. With features from the renowned Wyclef Jean, this artist has raised the bar and provided this game some QUALITY MUSIC that is worth more than just a simple pass through listen.
The track Wyclef features on called, "Grind" definitely gives us one of those update sing-song hooks, but the mixture of their vocals, delivery, and production make this a DEFINITE REPLAY TRACK. The progressions of, both, the music and wordplay work perfectly in this composition.
"Poison Dartz" has more of a Slaughterhouse feel, and MB4's lyrics are definitely not any less impressive. The only downside to this track is that it lacks some very important lower frequencies on the mix that make it lack some strength on the production end.
If there is any kind of artist that exemplifies what we here call BOOT SLAP RAP, this is it! Peep the tracks out below and watch out for this one!
OK, so we came across this submission this week and thought it was DEFINITELY worth a good mention. This was probably one of the better finds we have had in a while, and aspiring Emcee, Kembe X
Artist(s): Kembe X
Overall Rating:
OK, so we came across this submission this week and thought it was DEFINITELY worth a good mention. This was probably one of the better finds we have had in a while, and aspiring Emcee, Kembe X, hailing from the South Suburbs of Chicago exemplifies the very nature of a poetic emcee. His wordplay is ridiculously talented, and his ability to deliver accurately on beat is undeniable in every sense of the word!
From the first track we heard titled, "Balla Shit Till," it immediately became clear this was no average rapper or simple artist. His wordplay and ability to deliver what seems to be tongue twisting adventures without any issue make it apparent this artist is definitely hungry enough to make some serious damage given the right tools.
Throughout all the tracks sent to us, we noticed 3 very glaring issues that needed work; but these were (quite honestly) the ONLY issues with the tracks submitted.
Mixing was very poor. It did not match the quality of his lyrics, and it almost took away from the punch of the song overall, leaving the listener almost wanting more of his lyrics with new beats.
The usage of effects, especially in the initial track "Balla Shit Till," was a bit unbalanced with the final mix. It was almost as if they went back and did this over the master or something.
Too many mid range frequencies (500-700mhz) in the EQ and not enough 120mhz, 2khz and 10khz frequencies in the final output.
If these mixing issues were corrected, Kembe X may have gotten an additional point, and we are looking forward to hearing more of him in the future with some QUALITY PRODUCTION and QUALITY MIXES. Once he has this, we definitely think Kembe X will be quite a force to contend with in the game.
Y'all have heard of Watchmen by now, so you should know the emcee they call PRO. His lyrical ability is undeniable, much like the rest of the crew, and he has now released a new album called, I NEED THERAPY.
Artist(s): PRO Album Name: I Need Therapy Year of Release: 2011
Overall Rating:
Y'all have heard of Watchmen by now, so you should know the emcee they call PRO. His lyrical ability is undeniable, much like the rest of the crew, and he has now released a new album called, I NEED THERAPY; which for the most part feeds that inner-lyrical person that enjoyed the sounds of Rakim, Wu and the like. This album, though not as strong as I had hoped for was indeed a good listen.
The intro titled, "Dark Passenger" lives up to its name with the creepy intro; and when PRO begins rhyming, you almost feel like your listening to 90's Rakim. That is not to say it's a bad thing because lyrically, the talent is most definitely there.
One thing that was very clear is that PRO was attempting to paint a lot of stories throughout this album, and he does very well with tracks like "Where" and "Sunshine" that includes singing vocals. Most of the feel for these tracks is deep and soul-ish. It was definitely NOT what I expected to hear, but I kind of enjoyed the fact that it was different, and I appreciated the range of music he implemented into the production. Tracks like "The Truth", "GO" and "Dangerous" were definitely REWIND WORTHY tracks, so be sure not to miss listening to those on the album.
Overall, the Mix on this album was pretty good. Tracks like "The Truth" had some smooth lows, and overall the blends of frequencies were very clean. You can hear a VERY GOOD separation of sounds in the track called "Where".
There weren't a lot of downers in this album, but a few key points to work on that dropped the score a little. "Encontramos" was a good track to bring the bilingual hook, but the delivery could have been a bit smoother on this one to match with the beat. His delivery was great for what it was, but this track needed something with a little less attach on the delivery. "I Will" was not as impressive as it could have been with a better mix on the higher end frequencies.
For those who like LYRICS, this is a GREAT ALBUM and serves its purpose well. For those who are looking for something a little out of the box, it may be a hit and miss for you.
ARTIST(S): Annex (@annexhiphop)
Artist(s): Kembe X
If you thought lyricism and horror-core rap was something of the past, you obviously haven't heard the Da Goldminers latest LP, THE GOLDEN ERA. Hailing out of the Tampa, FL area, by way of that up north feel; they bring a dynamic face to the once underground scene that flourished back in the 90's. With a new twist in production by Simon Roofless, the team goes in on what most lovers of lyricism will find to be a haven of poetic ingenuity.
OK, so it's been a while since an artist has completely impressed me in both lyrics and delivery. Annex is one of those artists that seeps quality in every aspect of his mixtape. For the Hip Hop enthusiast, this mixtape will be a breath of fresh air and a definite "bar-raiser" for many.
So, MB4 was sent to us for review; and initially, we had the usual, "Oh, here goes another white boy anthem rapper." We were definitely NOT expecting what we heard. What we found was a talented emcee that's gritty vocal sound most of these so-called "rappers" should take heed to.
OK, so we came across this submission this week and thought it was DEFINITELY worth a good mention. This was probably one of the better finds we have had in a while, and aspiring Emcee, Kembe X, hailing from the South Suburbs of Chicago exemplifies the very nature of a poetic emcee. His wordplay is ridiculously talented, and his ability to deliver accurately on beat is undeniable in every sense of the word!
Y'all have heard of Watchmen by now, so you should know the emcee they call PRO. His lyrical ability is undeniable, much like the rest of the crew, and he has now released a new album called, I NEED THERAPY; which for the most part feeds that inner-lyrical person that enjoyed the sounds of Rakim, Wu and the like. This album, though not as strong as I had hoped for was indeed a good listen. 