Oddisee

Oddisee - Foot in the Door (Mixed by DJ Jazzy

Oddisee - Gentrification

m not going to review this album. I want to but I can't and I won't. I've heard many good things about dude, and I've heard may good things by dude in the past, but I'm not going to review this album. Why not? Because personally, my time could be better spent. The album has over 30 tracks and I just don't have the time or patience to do this all at once. I'm most def not saying for you all not to download and listen to the album

Oddisee - Part of the World

Oddisee has worked with the likes of Little Brother, Talib Kweli, Wordsworth, Jazzy Jefff and I heard he's done a joint with Common. He's signed to Halftooth records (with Kev Brown, Wordsworth, Median, and Dash) and hails from the chocolate city (D.C.). Oddisee is a producer (produced many tracks on the album in question although it was mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff himself) as he's done tracks for Jazzy Jeff and Little Brother. Personally I'm a fan of dude's southern tinged flow and I think his beats sound like an RJD2 influence Illmind, but that still says little for the album. From everything I know about it him the album should be golden, but I haven't finished it all myself so that is meaningless.

Wish I could've done a review, but I just can't find the time, so make up your own mind about it and listen to it for yourself.

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Untitled

Prince Ali - I Miss 1994

DJ Premier Tribute - I Miss 1994 - P.A. (Prince Ali)

Prince Ali is your average Pakistani-Canadian rapper...let me stop. There's nothing really average about P.A. at all... at least not in the rap world. He's Pakistani, he's Canadian, he's a re-born Muslim, and he didn't start rapping until a few years ago.... and he's still really good at it.

Hailing from the T.Dot, the oddity that is Prince Ali (and no we're not talking about the other Prince Ali signed to Heiro Imperium) struggled to find who he was which eventually led to him to becoming an MC at the relatively ripe age of 18. Now 3 years later (I miss 1994 was released in 2006) Ali is proving himself as a force to be taken seriously.

I Miss 1994 likely to take you back to hip hop's golden era which can be summed up in the year 1994. With joints like Gangstarr's Hard to Earn, Nas' Illmatic, Tribe's Midnight Marauders, Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Main Ingredient ,Common's Ressurection, Wu's Enter..., Black Moon's Enta Da Stage, Biggie's Ready to Die, and Outkast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik to name a few 1994 was hip hop's livest year to date, which is why Ali specifically attempts to recreate music from the age best displayed in the DJ Premier tribute Rap Author.

To keep it short and simple, I Miss 1994 finds P.A. spitting in the style of hip hop forefathers with an easy to understand flow laced over (for the most part) Incise produced tracks. The album is best when listened to while driving somewhere in the evening or even showering (yes showering). Album high points include Rap Author, Righteous Scrolls (featuring Tragedy Khadafi), Beat Knock, and On Our Way.  

1994 was a great year and I Miss 1994 does it's best to measure up to classics from the year. Although not of Illmatic proportions, Prince Ali's debut is nice and since kid has only been rapping 3 years it's a sure thing we'll hear great things from him in the future.

8/10

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Cool Calm Pete - Tune In

Cool Calm Pete

Cool Calm Pete - Lost

It took me forever to get up the guts to listen to Cool Calm Pete's Lost. My friend Ant had been telling me forever I should listen to dude, but with him being and Asian American rapper and me being half Asian I was afraid he'd suck which would in accordance kind of embarrass me. Ant gave me the link to Pete's album, Lost, ages ago and it was ages ago that I decided not to listen to it. I probably wouldn't have ever gotten around to listening to it if my laptop hadn't broken and I hadn't been forced to use my brother's school issued and highly restricted laptop. Due to the top notch security on my brother's laptop I couldn't download anything and was forced to only stream music through sites like Last.fm which (surprise!) Anthony had constantly recommended me Cool Calm Pete through. Because he'd recommended Pete's material to me so many times it was virtually the gist of what my recommended radio station played... and I'm not complaining. As soon as I got my laptop back Pete's album was the first I downloaded (legally as too!).

Cool Calm Pete's Lost heavily samples old school Korean music (Pete is Korean), but it's so well sampled that unless your parents are huge fans you wouldn't really realize you were bobbing your head to likes of Isooni or Uhm Jung-Hwa. Pete's flow is often described as slow or syrupy and I can buy the syrupy part but I'd call it mid-tempo rather than "slow" which greatly compliments his unexpectedly deep voice.

Lost finds Pete (A Korean American Brooklyn MC who can always be found wearing a New York fitted)

flirting with subjects from world travels to terrorism, to shooting at tvs, to bitchy ex girlfriends along with their smelly vaginas. Throughout all Pete still manages to show off his skills with wordplay while remaining a humourous, average Joe type character.

The production on the album is always on point (very feel-goodsy and easy listening), and Pete's rhymes are always listen worthy so I really couldn't find a bad track on the album although several high points on the album include: Lost, 2am, Brush P.S.A., Wishes & Luck, and my personal favorite Tune In.

Now the album cover is awful I may admit....what a chap lipped, blotchy skinned, wack ass wanna-be rapper right? Wrong. The album cover, for starters, looks very little like the Babbletron member looks in person and besides if it did would you really want to miss out on a dope album because you're a superficial wack ass yourself? Didn't think so, check it out (preferably with dank and Cheetohs).

8.5/10

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Awwwwwwwwwwwww man! This post has been a hell of a long time coming right? When I

Don Cerino - D&D Dreams (Produced By DJ Premier)

Don Cerino

started this blog I originally meant to keep the goods coming and to keep my shit updated, but for anybody who knows me, shit never really turns out how I planned. A lot of shit changed, made two moves, had to get shit in order for school, got a job, quit a job, got another job and got another job. Had to get the internet, then my laptop broke (fuck a motherboard), turned 19 and now shit is semi-straight (and it only took half a year!). Anyway, fuck the drama and let's get into some good ol' hip hop music.

Don Cerino - Nothing in Life is Free (Hosted by Mr. Peter Parker)

Cerino's Nothing in Life is Free's first actual track is the appropriately titled, Hubert Daviz produced Intro Track  Cerino properly chooses to use his intro to give the unaware an idea of who this Italin kid from the heart thinks he is.

"Track one, attempt to attract more fans/ start with a prank then advance my plans....Question if nothing in this life is free/then how you listening to someone as nice as me?/ Released a CD without making a dollar/Praying and hoping that label's will Holla/I mean this...."

The production by relatively unkown, Hubert Daviz, is a light and piano laden with theme-fitting cuts from Nas, Mos Def, and Common (to name a few) which set boom-bap feel for most of the album's other 23 tracks.

At the end of Intro Track we hear a clip from DJ Premier co-signing Cerino,  which picks up on the Preemo produced  D&D Dreams. As predicted the track production is flawless and although it lacks the bass and grimyness of your typical Premier produced joint, it's light medley of percussion and woodwinds still creates an instrumental you can nod to. In accordance Cerino doesn't lack in the rhyme department as he states:

" The pen is my weapon/the Bronx's where I'm reppin'/Yes, eyes on ya Nike's so you can watch where you steppin'..../I'm an animal/No barks, but actual grammatical/Puttin' in the work while the other's take sabbaticals/A Cannibal/But not because I'm eatin' people spittin'/'Cause I'm evil, full of myself, It's the reason I'm the shit and.../"

Music for Life Part 2, borrows it's beat from the hypnotizing Hi-Tek track Music for Life. While the beat is borrowed, Cerino makes it sound as if he owned it from the first place as he spits about his life and getting signed along with Kyle Jeeda.

 

The joint that first got me interested in Cerino is the ReaLson produced, I Love Hip Hop. Throughout the trap there's a constant cut of "I love hip hop" as D Minor sings the hook. It is this track where Cerino let's a more intimate side of himself show.

 

"I love hip hop and I ain't talkin' all this rap/the culture, the artform, and more than that/It's life style, I'm standin' where I'm at right now/In the street, right crowd, look at this white child/ Talkin' like he knows the ghetto and like he knows the hood/I'm a middle class bastard that's misunderstood..."

 

Cerino goes on to express his disdain for the state of hip hop today (according to Cerino it's been made a joke out of)  all the while professing his eternal love for her while forseeing that most cat's love for hip hop will die down as time passes if they don't learn their history and respect the art .  

I'd most def. like to go into detail about at least 10 more of the the albums 25 tracks but I've got more hip hop to kick to the world. With that being said other highlights of the mixtape are Assertive featuring Reef the Lost Cause, Money, Money Money featuring Silent Knight & Raks One, The Statik Selektah produced Hypocrites, and the Illmind produced joint My Life.  Aside from a two or 3 uneccesary tracks (Intro to the Past for starters) Cerino's Nothing in Life is Free would make a solid album which makes it an exceptional mixtape. Free from 106th and park endorses, Illmind endorses, him, Phonte endorses the kid, DJ Premier co-signed the dude, Statik Selektah is feeling the dude so feel obligated to give son a spin... besides, the best things in life tend to be free.

7/10

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Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens (In Hell Happy With Your New Imaginary Friend)

Blu & Exile - In Rememberance

Blu & Exile

F80_blu_cover_01 [%P]

As most probably intended, the first thing anybody will notice as they delve into Below the Heavens is the extremely beautiful album artwork. Like Common's upcoming Dilla influnced/tribute album, Finding Forever, Blu's album cover is so unconventional that it shouts out to even the most colorblind crate digger to scoop it up and give it a listen. Unfortunately it often occurs that the old proverb, "you can't judge a book by its cover" is often times true, but luckily for Blu and his DJ, Exile the album is almost as brilliant as it's cover. 

Dispelling the idea that all underground hip hop is supposed to be jazzy, intellectual, and conscious is Blu over a base & sample filled, "My World Is". If anybody didn't know what Blu looked like this track, which begins with a Young Jeezy like "yeauh", they'd be sure to take him for a Red Monkey rocking, Retro 1 stomping,  Bape sporting, New Era fitted wearing hustler type cat. I mean, that's not to say the song is bad by any means, it's just that compared to the rest of the material on Below the Heavens, this track shows a very rarely seen, grimy Blu. "Cold Hearted" (featuring Miguel Jontel) catches a more disturbed Blu as he discusses his childhood days when his pops (who by the way introduced him to hip hop) used to beat his mom and he was "cold hearted and young, a dumb kid with a gun..." The song, which uses a clever personification of hip-hop, also serves a purpose to call out all the "seed killers" (ie murderers) out there. "Blu Colla Worker", is a brilliantly up tempo joint in which Blu explains to a woman that she has to understand that sometimes he's got to not be with her to make his music because he's a "blu colla worker". The first single of the album, "The Narrow Path" is set over a melodic percussion set while Blu is

"Tryna tell my folks that flowin' ain't easy/Travelin' down this yellow brick road until it frees me/I need a pen, I need a pad, I need a place to go/to get this shit lifted off of my soul"

Of all my favorite joints on the album is "In Remembrance" which is laced on one of the most soulful samples I've heard in ages along with several cuts from old school joints like Pete Rock & CL Smooth's classic T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You) Blu spits verses about his childhood days and the way that they come to an end so quickly. Although looking back on better days can often be a sad event, Blu does so without the tears (even in mentioning his grandfather's death) by stating, "We came a long ass way." While the song can make anybody feel a bit wistful it's the type of song that can almost make bring up your best memories and etch a smile across your face.

As the grand finale of the album you have the eight minute, twenty for second long track "The World Is..." featuring The KoochieMonstars.  Like the previously review The World Is Ours by Ill Poetic, this track also uses the hook from Nas'  1994 classic, Illmatic, and just as in Poetic's attempt, Blu doesn't succeed in recreating the too well know lyrics, but thankfully Exile's production gives the track a feel as if this entire this is bigger than us all and saves the first quarter of the track until Blu jumps in and kicks knowledge about hell,

" Somebody once told me I was already in hell/Freedom's a state of mind and just the heart of me's in hell/ I freed my slave mind so a part of me's in hell/ So even when it's hard to breathe a part of me inhales."

The track eventually changes up paths and gets into a soulful jam session which takes Below the Heavens out on a soul lifting note.

Regardless of what your religion, by definition we're all below the heavens, and depending on our surroundings and our actions we can break or create our own hell. Through all of Blu's tales and stories, he breaks down for us how to flip the hell we were given and make it somewhere you can manage to enjoy.

10/10

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Skyzoo & 9th Wonder - Cloud 9: The 3 Day High

SKYZOO - WAY TO GO Directed by: Laura Adibe

SkyzooCloud9

The first time I picked up this album I was a bit skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I love 9th Wonder and his group Little Brother, and I’m even a fan of several 9th’s collaborative efforts (Jeanius, Murray’s Revenge, Chemistry). So where’s the problem you ask? One of 9th’s most recent collaborations, The Spirit of ’94 (with Kaze) was rather disappointing. I mean 9th’s production was notably on point, but I just didn’t feel like Kaze was really feeling the beat. It was as like he was hearing the music as he laid down 16s, but he wasn’t properly fusing his lyrics with the beat.  He wasn’t immersing himself in the sounds around him… but that’s another review. All and all I came to the conclusion that I should still give the album a listen at least in support of P. Douthit. To tell the truth I wasn’t expecting much from Skyzoo, I’d never heard much of him except that he’d been beaten by Jin on 106th and Park, and I thought he was probably another NYC rip off of Jay-Z. I downloaded the album, and ordered a pay-per-view movie convinced I wouldn’t have to listen long before I could stop soaking up what was bound to be a half-assed LP and begin enjoying V for Vendetta.
I’m broke. I’m always broke and I hate to waste money, but I sure as hell wasted 5 dollars on V for Vendetta that night. I held my breath as I put the first track on, but to the relief of my already weak lungs, within the first 30 seconds of Bare Witness I knew I was catching a fresh breath of air by the name of Skyzoo. Out of all his collaborations I never thought 9th Wonder would be able to top anything he did as a member of Little Brother, but Sky is giving the cats from NC a run for their money. The first track on the album entitled Bare Witness begins with the introduction of a brolic-sounding man giving the orders “Just let this motherfucker come on… and be fresh” and that is exactly what Skyzoo does. On the same track Sky reveals the information that this exceptional album was put together in a mere three days.  On the album’s first single, the melancholical  Way to Go, Sky starts off describing his Brooklyn neighborhood but wakes up the sleep inducing 9th production with lines such as “They only hatin’ is ‘cause they wantin’ to be us / and the way I’m on the drum is like I’m fuckin’ the speakers.” The album’s seventh track Bodega helps to round out the albums already versatile subject matter. Over 9th’s haunting yet soulful production Skyzoo spits about the entire mindset of a kid standing on a street corner (in front of a bodega) as well as on goings that take place in the bodega’s midst. “God don’t bless this corner/ We the bottom of the bucket/ We lucky he protect this corner.” When most cats talk about hustling or life in their hood you don’t think twice to envision what they’re talking about, but with this track Sky makes you hear him out.

Other high points of the twelve-track album include You & Me as well as Live and Direct. “ I pour it out, I pour it out/ I unzip my heart and I pour it out.” I usually take a strong disliking to rap songs with love as a subject matter, not because I try to avoid the subject, but because the songs are often poorly done. At first listen once I heard the sensual crooning of the female sampled by 9th wonder I thought “Ah, shit. I hope this isn’t gonna to be a 50 type love song.” And thank goodness it wasn’t. That would have ruined the entire album, but instead the track helps to present Skyzoo as a versatile 3-dimensional figure. I’ll admit this song doesn’t have any particular punches, but it’s not all love and emotions either. It’s a love song but it’s not too soft. It’s with this that Sky shows he can let himself be vulnerable and still keep his swagger at the same time.

Live and Direct has to be one of the most radio-friendly tracks on the entire album.With it’s booming horns and Sky’s “One, two, one two” anybody would think this was a Swizz Beats produced track at first listen. This has to be the best (my favorite at least) track on the album. There’s not a person in their right mind who could listen to this song without feeling like getting and doing a little something. The hook is catchy as hell (“Live and direct/ Comin’ from the bottom of the curve/ S-K got ‘em on swerve/ Live and direct/ Tryna get this money together/ I’m good with it I could double whatever/ Live and direct/ 9th put the beat on blast/ So now we got the streets in the bag/ Live and direct / This shit is live and direct/ S-K, 9th wonder on deck/ We live and direct…”) and the production is musical crack. When I heard this for the first time, I came to the realization of exactly what Kaze & 9th’s Spirit of ’94 was missing. They don’t understand each other’s material like 9th & Sky do. It’s as if 9th and Sky were weaving melodies and lyrics together and this is the result. Undoubtedly the pinnacle of the album.
Overall there’s nothing bad to be said of Cloud 9: The 3 Day High other than that I wish I’d been a bit longer. 9th was at his best and although I’m not quite familiar with any of Skyzoo’s previous material he’s more than likely at his best on the album as well. As of May 2007 the album was certified gold (and this is likely to be the first time you've heard of dude).

Considering that the album was put together in only three days as well as the fact that the two weren’t even in the same state when the album was created there’s not way the album deserves anything less than a

8.5/10

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Ill Poetic - The World Is Ours

Ill Poetic ft. Wordsworth & Young Zone

Ill Poetic

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Get some Ali Shaheed Muhammed (of Tribe) influenced production, a Supastition kind of flow, a Mid West swagger and just a tiny pinch of Eminem and your end result is the Cincinnati, Ohio hailing MC,  Ill Poetic who comes forth with intimidating goal of creating a Mid Western Illmatic and getting cats everywhere hooked on the Cinci state of mind.

"Home," the opening track, is somewhat reminiscent of Atmosphere's 2003 anthem for Minnesota, "Say Shhh". The boom bap tinged track is a cautionary one even though it has a jump off appeal. Poetic reminds listeners that they're better off at "Home sweet home" than places where "the grass ain't green and the kids are getting meaner". "Cincilluminati" has a jazzy composition with hook attributed to Nas' "Who's World Is This". The story telling in this specific track is based around what it's like to be a Cincinnatian painting pictures almost as vividly as in Nas' "New York State of Mind". Although the story telling is, for the most part, on point the Illmatic influenced hook uses Poetic's own voice rather than a sample from the original song and just seems...well lame which can be attributed to the fact that the single line is such a trademark of the original song that it's impossible to re-create it yet this is redeemed by a hidden track on the same track. Again Poetic attempts to re-create some classic hip-hop lines, yet this time successfully. In "Soul Electric", poetic re-uses A Tribe Called Quests hip hop quotable, "Hey sucka nigga, wherever you are, wherever you are" to shout out Cincinnati, "Hey Cincinnati wherever you are, wherever you are". Blueprint of Soul Position (with RJD2) makes a guest appearance on "Common Knowledge" in which he sheds light on the reason he's considered to be a Backpacker...his uzi ways a ton, how else could he carry it? Blueprint, however; isn't the only cat to shine in the song as Poetic spits, "Ya'll fools rappin, and I'm an illusion/rap wolverine Hugh Jackman, I jack humans." "The Beautiful" and "So Good" are easy listening joints with down tempo jazzy feels. "One More" featuring Wordsworth & Young Zone as well as " City of God" featuring Young Zone are both brilliantly produced tracks with equally exceptional lyricism in which Poetic flows like an orgasm. Both songs catch Poetic at his grimiest and both can be taken as making subliminal shots at Young Jeezy, 50 cent, Slum Village and even cats who only started paying J.Dilla attention after he was deceased. Beef or no beef the tracks are both solid. The final track "Inside Lookin' Out" starts off with a sample stating "It's getting close to the end". Instead of being an ominous track as the sample suggest the track turns towards a  bubbly, powerful one as Poetic looks at his hometown and how everything is simply beautiful and simply good.

Every track on the album (aside from "Sugar Shack" which is just a bunch of bullshit) has exceptional production, Ill Poetic proves himself as an Ill Poet time and time again and although the album will be putting Cinci on the map anytime soon the album is a definite must listen.

7/10

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Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth

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Brother Ali - Uncle Sam Goddamn

To begin to understand the plight and music of Brother Ali (formerly Jason Newman), it's almost detrimental that a listen know 3 things about Ali. Ali is 1) A Caucasian male, 2) an Albino, 3) an American Muslim. To begin listening to a Brother Ali track on The Undisputed Truth or any of Ali's pervious work,  without knowing those few things would be enough to make several listeners confused, upset, and taken aback if they're entire perception of B.A. is based on the album's CD cover. After taking those listed aspects of who Ali is as a person, from the first track to the last track it's easy to come to the conclusion that Brother Ali is the undisputed truth.

Anybody who's familiar with Ali's previous works is apt to realize that Ali improves with each of his efforts. Shadows on the Sun was better than Rites of Passage and The Champion EP was better than Shadows on the Sun. It's not to say Ali has ever released a bad album, but rather that Ali always winds up outdoing himself whenever he releases new material. The same is true for Undisputed. The Ant (of Atmosphere) produced album begins with an 80s type Run DMCesque track titled "Watcha' Got".Ali's gruff lion's roar of a voice blends well with the chords of the electric guitar as Ali raps,

 While the track lacks to show Ali's lyrical capabilities, it does do Ali's ability to get his braggadocio on, justice. "Pedigree" is a Juggaknot-like produced joint laced with a trademark Ant sample which gives a somewhat ghostly feel to the otherwise easy going feel of the song. Unlike "Watcha Got" this track, which is also somewhat bragging, doesn't have such a brash blatant feel and is liable to get the most unsuspecting rapper singing right along,

"One behind the next in line, it's inspection time, let me check the design/ Your pedigree don't hold up next to mine, I'm a thoroughbred of the most excellent kind"

"Freedom Ain't Free" is another example of those previously mentioned trademark Ant samples. The track is set off by a 90 sounding reggae bounce with a chimpmunked sample declaring "Ain't no where to run to, there ain't nothing here for free". For those unfamiliar with Brother Ali's ill fated years of youth, Ali re-introduces little Jason to listener and tells the tale of how BA was forced to completely de-construct and rebuild himself until he was no longer Jason Newman, but Brother Ali (now Ali Newman).

Although the first portion of Undisputed, has its high points, the last five tracks are definitely the best of the album in its entirety. "Take Me Home" is a feel good joint Ali promises "If you take me home, I'll sing you a song". As the song progresses listeners will find it to be a lesson on how Ali has kept his head above water by continuously working hard, staying on his grind and not trying to compare himself to other cats. The premier track of the entire album (and the first single) "Uncle Sam Goddamn" is definitive in naming Ali a force to be reckoned with. From politics, to religion, to race Ali examines the evils of the United States (aka the United Snakes) and mocks the way Americans are taught to support everything the government does. Every single line in the song is packed with a history lesson and the Ant produced track's show-tune feel sets the class off.

Even for somebody who's not paying the song much attention to begin with, a second listen is a must after hearing Ali stop the track to kick knowledge

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Blue Scholars - Bayani

Blue Scholars - Back Home

Bayani

From my first listen to the Blue Scholars' self-titled first album to the The Long March EP, I've always been a fan of Geo & Sabzi. I wouldn't classify any of their previously mentioned joints as classic (even though Sagaba & La Botella are still some of my top played songs), but Bayani is definitely a candidate for the title.

The album begins with a Baha'i Faith prayer of healing which, at first listen seems pointless and almost annoying, yet is later found to have set the tone for the rest of the album. If I wanted to pick the best songs of the album to give a synopsis of I'd end up reviewing each track so to keep it short, Sabzi out does himself with this album in it's entirety. Every single track on the album has a "monumental" type vibe. Just like the theme song for Rocky Balboa movies, the production of each track makes a listener feel as if they're hearing something special...something prodigious. From "Second Chapter" (the album's second track) in which he sketches ideas of what needs to be changed about today's world, to "Still Get No Love" which is "a long song for everybody", to the jazz-infused "Morning of America" which tells the tale of America and Geo's last few decades, Geologic makes his slow-flow work for him by forcing even the most distracted listener, well...listen. Geo and Sabzi both shine more brightly than usually in the album titled track, "Bayani" which means "hero to the people" in Taglog (the language of the Philippines as Geo is Filipino) and  "the world" in Farsi (an Eastern European language, as Sabzi is Iranian). In this prophetic sounding joint, Geo explains how he and Sabzi came together and struggled together just as the title is a combination of their two cultures. The first single of the album, "Back Home" has a catchy, yet simple beat over which Geo flows about Southside Seattle and soldiers in Iraq stating "Bring 'em back home, and I don't wanna have to keep on singing this song."

The album is flawless, every track is enjoyable (aside from the intro), production is on point, but content sometimes get repetitive.

9/10

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Gabriel Teodros "No Label (Esma Remix)" Music Video

Gabrielteodrosloveworkbig

Gabriel Teodros - Love Work

Just as it's to be expected, Gabriel Teodros' first solo album on MassLine Media is full of insight laced together with vivid storytelling (a well blended mix of his label mates Common Market & Blue Scholars). Hailing from Seattle, Washington as a former member of Abyssinian Creole, Teodros has your classic West Coast flow, yet he doesn't have your average West Coast stories to tell.

The album begins "Sacred Texts", a track in which Teodros reminds other cats of how long he's been in the game by telling the story of his younger days while cleverly throwing in titles of several monumental 90s albums (Ready to Die, Me Against the World, etc.) along with popular song hooks from the same hip-hop glory days. The first (maybe only) single of the album, "No Label (Remix)", Teodros not only touches on what it means to be indie or major, but also different labels given to artists to define their genre. Although the concept seems it'd make for a bland, conscious song, the song's production enables it to become of the most catchy on the entire album. "Third World Wide" takes the Kanye/U2/Greenday route by examining several issues of peoples in third world countries (African countries) by telling the story of a young boy who lives in poverty in Africa as well as an African-American boy who's imprisoned for "trying to live". The trumpet on the track makes for a catchy A Tribe Called Quest-like vibe. The premiere track of the album, "Love Work" is predictably about loving work and the game, yet still makes for an interesting track due to breezy production, catchy hook, and Teodros ability to remind listeners what made us love this rap shit in the first place.

Although GT's flow needs some work to make him sound more original, Love Work  is a solid album.

6/10

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