Artist(s): PRO
Album Name: I Need Therapy
Year of Release: 2011

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

ALBUM RATINGS
Production:
Lyrics:
Mix:
OVERALL:

 

Artist(s):Watchmen
Album Name: Power
Year of Release: 2010

 

Overall Rating:

 

Every team has their strength and the Watchmen show their lyrical abilities in this latest release, POWER. While this release is not as strong of a release as the previous, it would be best to keep in mind that this album comprises of the group's previous non-released tracks from 2006. With a sound a bit more basement than the more current quality of tracks we are used to hearing them on, it provides fans with a bit of a background on how exactly this team developed through the years.

 

The main thing anyone will realize when hearing this album is that the mixes and production are not very strong in respects to quality, but the lyrics are clearly ingenious. The intro of the album provides eerie pipe organ sounds with cuts of various phrases of lyrics that make it clear this crew is about their emcee game. Tracks like "Bloody Palm" with its classic WU feel, and "Final Hour" with its consistent array of metaphors and similes make it easy to see why WU MANAGEMENT would have picked them up. Again, the mixes are what really hurt this project on tracks like "Dishonor," where the hook completely out-leveled the verses.

 

One track that is worth mention is "Everyone of Us" that hailed some of the best lyrics with verses like, "You takin' it all in vain / I'm breakin' this ball & chain / You fakin' to stay the same / I'm rakin' against the grain." This track was a definite replay and if they revisited this track with a better mix and some updated vocals to bring that WOW factor into play, it would be a hot classic.

 

The title track "POWER" was a good feel, though could have used more variety in rhythms, and "Torcher Chamber" ended in the album with considerable force.

 

Overall, despite the mix and production needs, this was a good album to bring fans back into the previous years of Watchmen. If nothing else, it shows how far they have come since then, and makes a person wonder what they are about ready to bring with the newer releases in the near future.