1. Fighting For Futures (Intro) by DJ Mr. President
Mr. Prez shows off serious scratching skills to a mellow, yet up-tempo beat. Use of a few samples were very repetitious.
2. Say Superman by YC the Cynic
Production and mixing is on point. Back to back punch-lines. “Connect four in three moves”. The chorus is catchy. The beat is funky with great change-ups. Delivery and wordplay are definitely his strong suits.
3. Something to Feel by Edara
Here is a smooth pop/r&b track with a nice beat that reminds me of something Janet would rock to. Edara’s silky voice caresses your ears.
4. We Can Fly by Homeboy Sandman
Back to hip-hop with Sands with an expected melodic chorus. I’m loving the use of samples so far in this tape. Can’t go wrong with Street Fighter II. The beat has a great Spanish guitar + Caribbean drum sound to it. HS brings imaginative content with a solid and persistent flow. “Dermatologists” line I didn’t get. Someone help me with that one. “Security breach” line offers vivid imagery, this I like. Second verse starts off with a complex and ambidextrous rhyme scheme. His lyrics are his densest here in the sense that they are less accessible. I appreciate complexity and historical reference but it shouldn’t take more than three listens to know exactly what a few bars are conveying. The third verse has a great rhyme scheme for this type of beat. “Draws energy from the underneath”.
5. Brooklyn to Babylon by Shinobi Ninja
Moving straight into party mode with this one. Another Caribbean-inspired beat with dope horns and synths. This track has a very poppy vibe but it is catchy. A lot of repetition until the last minute The short verse at the end is simple but works well with the feel with the track.
6. Open Hearts & Minds (Skit)
Short and to the point. No complaints here.
7. Lifetime by Fusion
Lovely R&B song with nice vocal harmonies. The all-acoustic guitar instrumentation was the right move.
8. Dead by Top $ Raz
A somber track with a smooth-voiced Top $ with a half singing melodic flow. Chorus uses vocal effects well. Content is completely on-topic and exemplifies stellar storytelling which this beat fully encourages. Lyrical complexity and poetic devices were nonexistent but they were not really necessary. The message this track delivers benefits from Raz’ clarity.
9. Dream On by Eric Sosa
The emotion is definitely heard although his delivery sounds strained or forced. “All the right elements.” Rhyme scheme on first verse starts off simple but picks up towards the end. The chorus is mediocre, only because I am picky with sampled choruses and how artists contribute, or don’t contribute, to them with their own rhymes. “Ketchup/Grey poupon” played. The prolonged food metaphors are lackluster.
10. Harder by The New Age
Noticeable pops left in chorus vocal mix. I dig this beat, very New York. Flow goes from steady to sloppy and vice versa. “Since four I knew what a razor was for” damn. “Nickel-plated bubblegum” forced simile. Undoubtedly the weakest track thus far.
11. Worth Fighting For (Skit)
Enforces the “worldwide” aspect of the tape with random Englishpersons. I can dig.
12. MLK by Danny Goines
“Reach the clouds in the sky” ok. Pretty straightforward flow and delivery. The beat is alright, if a little on the generic side. Chorus is somewhat predictable but the lyrics have more to it than you expect at first. “On the shoulders of giants” nice.
13. Contradictory by Spills vs. Felecia Cruz
Spills starts off with a syllable-icious flow. Vocals are too low. Can’t really make out any of the first short-verse’s lyrics. “My antenna senator with sentences” what?? The second shortie makes more sense but it’s way too short. The chorus is too repetitive to occur more frequently than the verses. Halfway through, there isn’t enough to explain the topic. Felecia’s first verse is in a hushed whisper which makes parts of it hard to distinguish between a following echo or a poorly pronunciated line. The second “verse” is similar. The beat is soulful with well-used samples. Overall, a very niche song.
14. Daydreaming II by Best Kept Secret
Dope voice. Delivery and mic presence is lacking in the chorus. I get no sense of conviction from it. Flow is seamed and stilted. The content brings real talk any underground emcee can relate too.
15. Digit by Jesse Abraham
Beat is well produced with a deep bass and Jesse’s well-mixed vocals are superbly clear over it. “Finite forever” “My knife’s a feather” dope. Starts off strong with a poetically infused rhyme scheme. Some vagueness. Second verse with an uber-funky flow that is semi-omnipotent. It’s both here and there at the same time! His mic presence is very niche, akin to someone softly rambling into your ear. To be clear, your feeling about it will be very subjective. I can imagine most will either love or hate it. It seems like the first was built for lyrics, the second for flow, and the second for rhyme scheme.
16. Sky High by Varyus Waise
The beat is very soulful with a steady bass. The hypest song so far in the tape. Waise’s style is a nice change of pace from a largely mellow project. Flow a lil choppy at parts and I caught at least a couple sped-through line. Well-emphasized punches. Breath control could use some work. Sticks to the topic well.
17. Into Reality (Skit)
Quick skit to an up-tempo beat.
18. Leave It Alone by Father Dude
This reminds me of the Family Matters theme song for some reason. Awesome R&B song that sounds like it’s from the 80s but with current generation production and mixing.
19. Live Ya Life by Gypsy Flesh
Chorus has a mainstream sound to it. This has a similar formula to a few 90s female hip-hop songs. The beat is very 1996 with a slick bass-line and disco sample. Nice voice and mic presence. Chorus is well-sung, with a poppy feel.
20. Mr. Policeman by Bless Roxwell
Not feeling her voice much. Chorus pretty simple. Delivery is unique and fits the accusatory content. Good topic with insight in every line. The bridge was lackadaisical. Her straight-to-the-point verses outshine the annoying chorus.
21. Spaceship Earth by Eagle Nebula
Beat is funkariffic. Nice voice and resonant mic presence. I dig that little chorus. Trippy imagery with a conscious tone.
22. Dialogue Fresh by Premonition
“Iron chef of the dialect” line and the rest of that opening rhyme scheme was dope. “Vegetable crisper” Haha!! Flow is on-point. “Taser and stun beats” nice. The chorus is catchy and refreshing. The deep piano melody on it is my favorite part of this percussion-filled beat. “Wrist breaks”. Prem’s subtle delivery variance keeps it interesting while making it easy for the listener to follow along with the lyrics.
23. Brooklyn Keep On Takin It by Warren Britt
Resounding WOOS start off this track. I usually disapprove of this kind of mixtape staple, but Mr. President mixed it down particularly well. Flow is a little rigid at parts but well spat in others. Multi-syllables well done. “Play boy like a centerfold” not bad. Chorus is alright. There’s enough going on in the beat for it to pass, but Warren could have laid some better hype over the first chorus while the second is well-covered.
24. Losing Control by Otis Clapp
Beat is mellow with a well-placed sample. Good voice with an appropriate delivery. Flow is steady. Poorly structured, two choruses before a verse? Clapp starts off his verse with a picked-up flow but rushed through “gotta be more through it”. Song lacked poetic devices.
25. Lunar Eclipse by Miz Metro
Very catchy beat. Opening vocals a tad low and has a 1960s vibe. Singing style changes up to a more Madonna-ish demeanor. At the end she takes on a British accent which brings M.I.A. to mind. Unique feel to this track.
26. Care For Others (Skit)
Somewhat haunting beat with a few short words.
27. Peace, Love & Music by Jeanette Berry
Vocals are clear but could have been mixed better. Jazzy beat under soothing vocals.
28. Genuine by David Aaron
Soft-rock beat with plenty of cymbal action. I like David’s voice but it does go monotone at the “we all share” parts. Overall, could have used more vocal inflexion.
29. The Billboard by The Zeps
Good voice and mixing to go with it. Persistent flow with well-placed multi-syllables. Chorus is a rockin’ good time. “Payin my gas bill”, “one buck”. As an underground artist, I can definitely relate to this. Other than flow, not much new brought to this overdone topic though.
30. Saw Red by Edara
Deep into the tape we have another E joint. The beat is KTU-worthy and would please many a club-goer. The chorus is repetitive but It’s diggable. Her previous track stands as the better.
31. Casual Boys by Terry Poison
80s influenced beat that can get your head bopping on-contact. Heavy synth will have your skull vibrating to all directions at once.
32. Youth Around The World (Skit)
Shoutouts on a saxxy beat.
Strengths
+ Overall vocal production and engineering was crisp and well done.
+ DJ Mr. President did a great job mixing track segues.
+ Wide variety of different tracks. A proper amount of R&B filled the void left by a lack of hype tracks.
+ Many different song topics.
+ The tape combines both strong mainstream and underground appeal.
Weaknesses
- Overly mellow vibe almost to a fault. Not enough tracks that can get a crowd amped.
- Lyricism varied greatly, from too much to not enough. Expected in a various artists tape, but may push some to approach it more selectively. A project specialized more according to song type would have been beneficial. (ie. R&B only or Hip-Hop only)
Compatibility/Appeal Rating:
Underground: 40%
Mainstream: 60%
Favorite Song: Dialogue Fresh
Face Value: 8.5/10
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