Album Review: "Spilled Milk" by Top $ Raz

1. Spilled Milk w/ Additional Vocals by Mayo Bass
Feeling the mellow beat. The chorus is well written and sounds official with the background singer. “It’s all spilled milk, but you can’t let it stain”. The beat production is a tight fit for Raz, props to Thinker. This is real talk here and good topical cohesion to boot. Dope imagery. Nice outro by Mayo. I could nitpick and say the flow could have been more diverse, but I don’t feel this track really needed it. As an intro track, it definitely served its purpose.

2. No Tears
Starts up with another mellow beat that lets you vibe out. Flow is different on this one and works pretty well with the beat. I’m not feelin’ the delivery on the first verse that much though, sounds somewhat monotone. This chorus is alright. Second verse drops some eye-opening personal lines. Content was on-point. Not feeling this track as much as “Spilled Milk” though.

3. Get Up, Get Her
This beat is knockin’ a bit. “Underground like Broadway Junction”… I had to quote that; I’m in that station every damn week. Here’s a welcome change of pace, flow, and delivery. “Tryna get an advance”, nice. “Get it crackin’ like eggs”, a little too obvious but delivered well. The chorus is okay, but the delivery is somewhat quirky. Perhaps a hushed and “sexy”-like voice would have worked better for those “If you want that girl”/”They wanna front” etc. parts of it. “Get high like apostles”, forced. “Party like a rockstar, pissin’on a cop car”, haha! The third verse wasn’t impressive, but had a cool flow.

4. Dead!
I love this beat. Vivid imagery. Paints an accurate picture of how no one really gives a fuck about the dirt that goes on in the hood. “20 years later no killer is found”. Delivery fits the beat well, very smooth and calm. Nice vocal effects. *For more on this song, peep my review of the Fighting For Futures Mixtape (Feb. 2010).

5. Far Rock ’95 ft. Mike Love & Vithym
“Moving like Commander Cobra”, hehe, I like that reference. Really digging Top’s delivery and flow on this verse. 2nd MC – Interesting voice that stands out. “Ounce in a shoe”, haha, really?? Nice flow and delivery. 3rd MC – Flow is ok but somewhat erratic.

6. Cold Blooded ft. Imagine That
IT – Nice flow, could be tighter though. Delivery on point. “But hoping I could catch a little light”, decent. Raz has a good voice. Nice rhyme scheme. “Built my city on rock then rolled”, pretty tight flip on a common metaphor. Lyrics were mediocre.

7. Perfect Stranger
Calm but scheming beat, I likes. “Baker man/pies”, played. Interesting concept, but lyrics are rudimentary. “Elevator/stares” punch-line is tight but could have been written better. “Diamonds/full deck of cards”, not bad. Flow is elementary on this track as well. Hehe nice Cosby impression on the outro.

8. Be Gone ft. Kalil Kash
Kash – vocal production not on par with Raz’, sounds echoey. Overdose of adlibs, reminds me of the commentary track on DVDs. Tight delivery. “Barry Bonds” line was too simple. Feeling this chorus and the sax that plays during it.
Raz - “You’re not pussy, you’re a yeast infection”, nice. Digging Raz’ delivery on this track.
Kash – “Cream”/money, played. “Booted” line was played too. Definitely not the best I’ve heard from Kalil.
Raz – “You cannot reset or press pause”, played but flipped and delivered nicely.

9. Burning Bridge ft. Scienze
Ear-catching, playful beat. Nice start. I can relate to this, dope concept. The singing isn’t good but I really like the chorus.
Scienze – Tight flow and delivery. “Cause be/Cosby”, not bad. “Clear/Dare” rhyme scheme was sick. “Broken pod”, ok.
Raz – “Rewind”, decent line but the effect and delivery made it dope.

10. Wo(men)
A nice, different style of beat with a similar feel to some of the others. I’m a sucker for good piano melodies. Cool plant allegory. The metaphorical transition in the second half of the verse was a little vaguer. The chorus is powerful in terms of how the beat changes and how Raz’ lyrics and delivery fit on it. Vivid imagery. “When you get to heaven you’ll be a n***a too”, WOW.

11. Farewell
Another absorbing piano melody. Ok first verse. The chorus is bananas with the imagery and delivery. “Anyone of us could have been Sean Bell”, that is deep. ‘He didn’t realize we tied to the same rope”, nice. Beatles references.



Strengths
+ Raz has a great voice, especially for the type of topics he covers.
+ Delivery was on-point for the most part.
+ Song topics and concepts were relevant, personal, real, and unique. Although, some elements, such as lines about slinging crack, were over-abundant.
+ Great beat selection.
+ Well-constructed album that doesn’t just die off towards the end. It starts strong and ends strong with good content in the middle.

Weaknesses
- Flow was fairly simple and repetitive/recycled throughout the album.
- Some lyrics were too basic and not accentuated with enough poetic devices.


Compatibility Rating:
Underground: 40%
Mainstream: 60%


Favorite Song: Spilled Milk


Face Value: 8.4/10


CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THIS ALBUM FOR ONLY $9.99!!!


CONTACT INFO

http://topdollagotit.com/
http://twitter.com/topdollaraz

Mixtape Review: "Rhyme & Noodles: No Artificial Flavoring Vol. 1" by Eric Sosa

1. Do Something (Freestyle)
Crisp production all around from vocals to beat. Sosa definitely has a mainstream/commercial appeal to his over all style, but especially his delivery. A few decent couplets and multi-syllabic rhymes here and there. “No woody” line was corny. “Ambidextrous/upper hand” nice.

2. Clothes off
Very basic and commercial chorus. The beat is catchy. Vocals a little low. “Tug of war with the phone line” nice. “Ice the champagne and spread it on the toast” what? “If we were figure skating it breaks ice” I get the metaphor but it does not fit well into the verse like an irrelevant side note. “Dinner for two” haha! Not really feelin’ the singing on this track so the extension of the choruses and added bridge do not help the song.

3. One Night ft. Mayo
Beat is ok. Chorus is super-repetitive but bearable. A lot of scattered similes and metaphors that either don’t make sense or are poorly set up. “Circle of trust/scars on my wrist/cuffs/lock” nice, but could have been better written. Some lyrics were too abstract. The chorus is too repetitive to repeat so many times at the end.

4. 87209
Dope beat. Simple chorus but works alright. “Prada wearin devil/band” Sounds forced, but makes more sense with further explanation in the verse. “Couldn’t stick/butter” dope! “Deeper than your knees” nice. “Stretchin the truth/we could split” tight. “Worried/were we” flip, nice lil nook. Digging the content, real personal. “Blue in the chin” quirky, hehe. “Lose when you win” ok. “Accident prone” sick. A lot of name-dropping and references most people won’t get. “Fish skin” not bad. Two choruses in 6 minutes? Sos’ went in.

5. One You (snippet) ft. Rocki Evans
Pleasant beat and chorus. Forced poetic devices jammed together. “gym/Gimme a bitch” ok. Very short snippet. Hilarious, hilarious, hilarious skit after the snippet about, you guessed it, noodles.

6. Superglue ft. Chaundon
This beat… is a BANANA FACTORY. “Knees/heels” too abstract. “Hyphens” forced. The “grimy voice” on the chorus is not well delivered and laughable, A for effort though. Chaun – Nice voice. Rudimentary flow and lyrics. Eric – “It says hi to me” forced and quirky. The track was decent, but this beat deserved to be viciously ripped.

7. Summer of Love
Cool sample and beat that absolutely gives off the summer vibe. Welcomed change in flow. I like the techno segue at the second chorus. Officially dancing in my seat right now. “Hard beat need a clone” ok. “Beathe on your own” haha. “Not smart to bark with lungs of wood when I guess” what the..!? The “hey-hey” bridges are alright, works for the club scene this song is targeting.


Strengths
+ Tight beat selection overall.
+ Quite a few standout lines.
+ Diverse range of topics which he followed well.

Weaknesses
- Quite a few abstract, forced, subliminal, or nonsensical lines.
- Solid flow, although it was very similar throughout. “Summer of Love provided the only real exception to Eric’s default flow.
- His delivery was not very accessible for me. At first, I wasn’t digging it, but it grew on me over the course of the tape.


Compatibility/Appeal Rating:
Underground: 35%
Mainstream: 65%



Favorite Song: 87209


Face Value: 8/10



CLICK HERE FOR A FREE FULL DOWNLOAD OF RHYME & NOODLES



CONTACT INFO
http://twitter.com/ericsosa
http://www.ericsosa.com/
info@ericsosa.com

Mixtape Review: "For The Love of Dilla" by Dremur

1. THIS 1NE FOR DILLA/ F.T.L.D. TRIBUTE
Straight-to-the-point intro that is a talk and rhyme hybrid. Beat starts up along with many quotes about J Dilla.. and that’s all it is. Very prolonged introduction. Could have been much shorter.

2. BE ALRIGHT ft. ERIC SOSA
Opening sound clip gives you a sense right away of the topic. Nice flow and voice, but can’t help but draw a comparison to Kanye in that respect. Dope content. Switching up the flow with versatility. “Stimulus” line I didn’t fully get, some muddy pronunciation there. Not feeling the chorus, not well sung.
Eric – Quirky metaphor, but not bad. From there until the buddha line is abstract. Vocals could have been mixed better, hard to hear at times.

3. BAD DAY feat THOUGHTZ & YC THE CYNIC
Chuckle-worthy track intro. Thoughtz – Tight rhyme scheme. Good mic presence. Quirky skit at the end of the verse.
YC – Dope delivery, mic presence, and rhyme scheme. “Clockwork” ok. “Day off” hehe, that’s happened to me.
Dre – Rides the beat well. No real standout lines from either MC on this track.

4. CAN YOU FEEL IT/CONSCIOUS RHYMES
Feeling the Wylcef-ish type flow on this. Cool use of vocal effects. “Down with the beat/comatose” ok. Diggin’ this chorus, goes very well with the beat. Pretty decent, yet overdone, bridge into an awesome beat switch. Good use of vocabulary.

5. MR EDIBLE ft. GERONIMO
Nice topic. “Raisinette eyes”, “Ribs”. Dope chorus, but first verse was more about an edible girl. “From my candystand” haha! Ok here are some reference to being “Mr. Edible”. “Sour patch kids” Haha!!!
Geronimo – Good delivery. “Four ways to split that” stood out. Vocal mixing could have been better.

6. 1ST LUV (ANOTHER HIP-HOP LOVE STORY)
“Snappy happy neck” Hehe. Dope allegory and topic. Flow was alright for the most part, but a couple of rushed lines were in there (ie. “I knew this was right”).

7. MAN’S WORLD
Another unique topic. Nice content. Very short.

8. FELICIA
Yet another sick concept. Captivating story progression. Delivery is on-point. “Just killed a boy who thought he was my man” pretty good ending.

9. LET ME B THE 1NE
Nice rhyme scheme… but “Head spinnin” is repeated too much. Cool chorus. “Façade” line is rushed flow-wise. “Soul’s into you” tight. Beginning of “solar system” sequence threw me off at first. “Seed/Grow with ya” works.

10. GALAXY
“Like the clown fish” the flow on that was off. Chorus is decent. “Get Betha” semi-forced at best. After 2 minutes, only a bridge and chorus is left with a short outro. Would have rather heard another verse.

11. STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT
Dope topic. Lyrics are heavy in detail. Feeling the energy and delivery on this track. The song was well-written for the beat. Chorus is pretty cool. This track should have been further up in the playlist.

12. F.L.I.P feat BLACK MAGIC
Flow is a tad choppy. Chorus is nice.
Black Magic – Good voice. Basic flow. Outro was too long. No one wants to hear that much talking, no matter the topic.

13. SICK MC feat Epiphany Blu and Lex
“Da-feet/defeat” played. Chorus was alright.
Lex – “Arthritis” not bad. Sequence was very on-topic though. Some obvious metaphors though.
Epiphany – Lyrics were hard to follow. I’m not sure if it’s her pronunciation or her writing.

14. FTLD RADIO
Interview skit. Was somewhat funny.

15. LIKE THIS
“Similes best sport” slurred. “Bars don’t sound right” I liked that line, although there was no clear punch there. Good emotion. “Tings” forced. Last minute is left for shoutouts.

16. RUNNIN feat GERONIMO & ARSINY
Beat rides for a while before the verse. Nice rhyme scheme. Chorus is tight, although a bit repetitive. “Mind over matter” nice.
Geronimo – Rudimentary flow. Delivery is held back by the flow at parts.
Ars – Tight flow. “Launchpad” dope.

17. DREMUR SPEAKS ON DILLA
Another speaking joint. It doesn’t provide anything new. Drags on.

18. BONUS BE ALRIGHT PT 2 feat OTIS CLAPP
Opening intro and Dre’s verses are identical to Pt. 1. Would have benefited with some sort of change in those aspects and production.
Otis – Lyrics aren’t very complex, but cohesive.


Strengths
+ Great quality and variety of song topics.
+ Rhyme scheme and delivery were on-point.
+ Songs were well-tailored to J Dilla’s beats.


Weaknesses
- Flow was on for the most part, but was inconsistent in some songs. Laggy and rushed lines both showed up at times.
- A lot of the songs sounded the same. I don’t believe this had to do with Dilla’s beats, but more so with similarity in delivery throughout the tape.
- Too much speaking; a couple skits were just too long.
- Overuse of repetitive and/or chant-like bridges and outros.
- Hardly any standout lines. Poetic devices were used sparingly and ineffectively.


Compatibility/Appeal Rating:
Underground: 65%
Mainstream: 35%


Favorite Song: Mr. Edible


Face Value: 8/10



CLICK HERE FOR A FREE FULL DOWNLOAD OF FOR THE LOVE OF DILLA



CONTACT INFO
http://twitter.com/dremurmusic

Mixtape Review: "You're Welcome" by YC The Cynic

1. State I.D.
Funky beat. Standout delivery that leaves every punch-line and metaphors clearly heard. “Arbees but on beat” interesting flip of a played concept. Nice rhyme scheme. “Matador D”, what? Dope content. Clear voice and pronunciation. Vocal production is well done.

2. Kick Back
Early 90s sounding beat. Delivery really boosts the lyrics. Solid flow. Nice vocabulary. “I’m the bomb, detonate” ok, but based off of a played concept. “Taken back” sick! Content was alright.

3. Return of the Slick
“Doe ray/ dough rise” dope. Slick multi-syllables. Rhyme scheme, again, is on point. “Bet some rappers won’t wanna rap after this”, “In the building like government planes” stood out.

4. The Honor Society
1st MC – Nice vocabulary. Pronunciation is off at parts. “Bars/payday” played. Tight switch in delivery at the end.
2nd – “lemon face” ok. Flow is solid. Not much here.
YC – “Regents” ok. “Ya’ll squeamish” nice.
J Monopoly – “Best maine”, haha! Obscure reference though. Tight delivery. “Steering him wrong” too obvious. Funny adlibs.

5. In The City
Warren Britt – Starts off with intense energy and delivery. Nice content and flow.
Chorus is catchy. YC starts off with semi-abstract lines that don’t hit really hit the mark. “Still worm?” “Metal instead of leather/wheels turn” – this doesn’t make sense to me, wheels aren’t made of leather. Verse was lacking lyrical coherence.
Monop – “From Queens come kings” nice. Haha funny adlibs, “ante up”. Flow was solid, but some clear room for improvement.

6. The Disclaimer
“Prolly got herpes anyway.. .slore” HAHA!!!

7. Chris Brown’s Latest Hit
“You just gave me herpes” haha! “If I ain’t got a rug” ok. Dope concept, very entertaining. Chorus is simple but funny. The singing is hilarious. Abstract lines. Seemed to go off topic on that last verse.

8. WHY CEE LA
Nice wordplay. “Follow suit” ok. “Pass the light like astronauts” doesn’t make sense. Rhyme scheme and delivery is, again, ridiculous! “Mozart” dope.

9. The Blogspot
Nice beat, I’m feelin this. Expansive vocabulary. No standout lines, just a blog advertisement.

10. The Bad Seed
Beat is wild. “Pardoned from an archship”? Pronunciation wasn’t as good in this track. 2nd MC – “Purse” haha. “Killing time” ok.
3rd – Nice flow. “Tennis scout” corny.

11. Lost
1st – “Kick it hard” played/simple. Was off-topic first half of verse.
YC – Some cool verbal play. Some abstract lines. Topic cohesion ambiguous.
Hipnotic – Flow is nice. Solid rhyme scheme. Short verse.

12. Where’s Lauren (Take It Easy Rmx)
Diggin’ this beat. “Dancin’ for change” ouch! “Knows Johnny McCain”nice. Dope vocab and content. Rhyme scheme bulging!

13. Say Superman
“In these shoes”, “In three moves” dope. Steady stream of tight one-liners. Chorus is catchy and intelligent. “X-games Cynic”, “Definite” tight. [Note: For more on this song, peep my review of “Fighting For Futures Worldwide” by Various Artists. (Feb.)]

14. Be Aware (Kings of New York)
Chorus is ok. “Hung with rope” alright. Vocal production not great, loud breaths in particular stood unedited. Abstract lines. I can definitely appreciate a Christopher Walken sound clip.


Strengths
+ Delivery is poignant, emphatic, and clear. The number one standout weapon in YC’s arsenal.
+ The beats, while similar in style, fit YC’s archetype perfectly.
+ Some dope lines here and there.
+ Extensive vocabulary.
+ Solid guest MCs.

Weaknesses
- While delivery was A+, it did not change much at all. YC has a very clear-cut and consistent formula that does not surprise you.
- A lot of abstract lines.
- Majority of topics weren’t very unique.


Compatibility/Appeal Rating:
Underground: 60%
Mainstream: 40%


Favorite Song: Return of the Slick


Face Value: 8.3/10


CLICK HERE FOR A FREE FULL DOWNLOAD OF YOU'RE WELCOME


CONTACT INFO
http://twitter.com/ycthecynic

Mixtape Review: "R.I.P. Death To The Industry Vol. 1" by Illicit Visionariez

1. Intro
Starts off the mixtape with a haunting beat and requisite deep-voice taunt. I digs it.

2. Cold [Remix]
The beat is a bass-tastic smooth one with an often-used sample. The chorus works with the topic well. Simple yet catchy.
Gordo laces the first verse with lively emotion but with a flow that drags somewhat which could probably be remedied by tweaking the delivery or by adding a couple more syllables to increase fluidity. His lyrics are straight forward and direct.
Precise is next in verse 2 with a stable punch-line rhyme scheme. Pre’s delivery and emotion is well suited for the continuous array of punches. Flow is on point.
Gordo’s 3rd with more mellow and smooth-voiced lines. Dropping the beat for the last line was a nice touch.

3. Blueprint 2 [Freestyle]
Pre starts it off with a calmer approach. Mixing on this track seems to be a step down from Cold. “Read it twice”, “Hate IV”, “Can’t Stand”, “Matter of face” lines were nice. Doubles could have definitely matched better. Adlibs clutter up the verse a bit. Nice switch in rhyme scheme at parts.

4. I.V. Anthem
The beat is a steady piano jammer with a simple melody. Gypsy starts out this track with fierce emotion. Rhyme scheme and flow are simple but work well with his delivery. “Smilin back through the blood”.
Ghetto Preacher is next with a wild and erratic flow. Adlibs muffle out the verse a lot. Pronunciation can definitely use work. JusWyze is next with a lot of slurring throughout his verse. I dig his voice. Not feeling the flow on the mini-chorus no matter who spits it.
Gordo is next with an unexpected beat change. Good vocabulary.
Precise is last but not least. “Ten hut” adlib is dope. “No reason in general”.

5. If I Ruled The World [Freestyle]
JusWyze starts this one off. Sounds like breath control could use work. Pronunciation still an issue. Poor verse.
Precise with more hyphy punch-lines and steady flow. Interesting use of effects. Adlibs were used well and sparingly in this verse.
Gypsy on the next with a delivery that has some emotion but sounds monotone when compared to his viciousness on the Anthem track. Good vocab. Multi-syllabic rhymes spread throughout.
Cool track but would have preferred an on-topic remix to another “I’m the shit” track.

6. Stillmatic [Freestyle]
I always dug this beat. This is a Gordo-only affair with some chuckle-worthy lines about unsightly dress and “bubble-gum artists”. “Sesame street hat”.

7. Nicest Rappers Alive [skit]
An entertaining skit that was maybe a little longer than it should have been. I don’t think I’ve seen a skit over 4 minutes before. “Get your butt soft” Haha!

8. Wanted [Dead or Alive]
Nice beat made with a great sample. On Gordo’s stretched-out flow persists on his second solo track. Doubles are off. Lyrics are very concrete. Could use more poetic devices.

9. Under The Sun [Original Rendition]
Up next is Precise’s first solo joint on the tape. The beat is solid with a classic sample. Pre comes in with a good flow and a struggle-to-the-top concept. So far this is the most personal of the tracks I’ve heard. “Spillin the formaldehyde”, “mind on rigamortis”, “restraining order” are standout lines. “Period” line is played. My only real gripe with this track is that the topic doesn’t fit the chorus, but the vibe of the beat certainly does.

10. Last Hope [Original Rendition]
Soulful beat. I dig. The singer on the chorus is pretty decent. In what is Gordo’s 3rd solo on the tape, the topic and beat better match his mellow voice and delivery. Lyrics are deep and true to real-life situations. Would be great if this were earlier on in the tape as this is much better than his first 2 solos. I really dug the feel of this track.

11. Interlude
A (thankfully) brief intermission that is over before you know it.

12. One [Original Interlude]
I’m digging this upbeat.. beat and the sampled chorus. Pre is first with a laidback flow. Gordo is next with good vocabulary. Clever rock references abound. Last verse is a back-and-forth with Precise and Gordo which is always fresh. A light-hearted track that is light on lyricism but heavy on fun.

13. Bang, Bang [Original Rendition]
I love this beat and even contemplated lacing it myself. Pre starts it up his solo with his usual antics. Some of the strengths and weaknesses of the verse have been mentioned earlier in previous tracks. “Bone ya marrow”.

14. What Them Girls Like [Original Rendition]
A remix to a well-received pop song. I liked the original so this is an easy win for me. Precise starts it off with uber confidence. Gordo comes in strong for this type of song with his butter-svelte vocals. “What she wants and needs” is a simple line but effectively delivered. “Rum and coke”, “call yourself a cab”: hilarious! Precise again: “my carseat stinks”, “you’se a hoe”. I like the jovial twist to the track. The gypsy outro was classic.

15. Cross My Mind [Original Rendition] ft. Scooby
Pre starts it off with smooth punches. Doubles on this verse work a lot better. Gordo 2nd: “Yup!” I chuckled. Another Gordo-compatible track. Scooby does a great job singing on this track. Very catchy chorus!

16. Ode To New York
The last Precise solo of the tape is dedicated to NYC, obviously. This is a proper beat for the topic. “Ebola is a hood chick”, “J-A-F”, “take ya rock away”, “Lil Scrappy”. Clever wordplay.

17. Outro
The outro greets the listener with another creepy beat, this time one with a “Halloween” sample. More spooky deep-voiced messages and laughing.



Strengths:
+ The topic-based tracks definitely stood out and evoked some emotion.
+ Precise’s spare but hard-hitting punches.
+ Gordo’s humorous lines in his more mellow tracks.
+ The beat selection, although predictable, were well chosen and friendly to most ears.


Weaknesses:
- Mixing was hit-or-miss, especially doubles and adlibs. Oftentimes, the doubles didn’t match the punch-lines, and in some instances, two completely different things were being said.
- Pronunciation was a resounding weakness throughout the first half of the tape, particularly in verses by JusWyze and Ghetto Preacher.
- Song topics were not varied enough. The first half of the mixtape felt redundant while the second half brought more interesting and diverse concepts.
- Lyricism was there for the most part but, ideally, there should have been more standout lines overall.
- Flow was definitely an issue for much of this mixtape. Everyone could use at least a little more improvement, but Gordo, JusWyze, and Ghetto Preacher must step their game up.


Compatibility/Appeal Rating:
Underground: 55%
Mainstream: 45%

Favorite Song: Under The Sun

Face Value: 7.2/10



CLICK HERE FOR A FREE FULL DOWNLOAD OF R.I.P. DEATH TO THE INDUSTRY VOL. 1


CONTACT INFO

http://myspace.com/illicitvisionariez
http://twitter.com/iv_ent

http://myspace.com/gordoiv
http://twitter.com/gordo_iv

http://myspace.com/preciseiv
http://twitter.com/precise_iv

http://twitter.com/gypsy_iv

Mixtape Review: "Get With A Visionary" by J. Biz

1. Intro
Nice, sample-heavy beat. Mixing is solid, crisp vocals. Back to back multi-syllabics. “Empanada”, “Substance abusive”, & “baking soda” were standout lines. Good breath control. “Hard work” kinda played. This is a proper intro track simply because it does its job well. It nicely expresses Jbiz’s style which is a mix of underground with mainstream appeal. Reminds me of a lot of mainstream mixtape grinders but with a more positive twist.

2. Biz Iz Goin In
Triumphant type beat here. Hype chorus. The vocal mixing on this track sounds a little more distorted and louder than in the Intro, but it’s listenable. Flow is dope. This is head-boppin’ music fasho. I’m dancing in my chair as I write this. A couple lines are muffled, either due to pronunciation slips, an off double, or mixing. “Ribcage to an asshole”. Energy and emotion were definitely there.

3. Osama Bin Grindin
Clever name. The beat is another epic melody with horns galore. Chorus is catchy. First verse starts strong. “Method to my combat”. Nice use of vocabulary. Again, vocal production could’ve been crisper. Another super-hype track.

4. Shoot Me Down [Remix]
This track brings it down a notch with a mellow approach which was well-needed. Vocal mixing sounds better on this one. Rhyme scheme is methodical and consistent. “Rather the universe”. Chorus has a nice sample. Whereas every track so far were self-promotional hyphies, this one shows a little more depth by giving historical examples of people who never gave up and became great.

5. Bizunderstood
Another sample-heavy beat. Mixing is on the lower end on this track. Doubles at parts are a tad off. Feeling the different delivery approach. “Recognition / Record mission”, nice wordplay.

6. Blow My Mind [Remix]
Mixing is good here. “Crystals on the weed”, dope. “Cut down trees”, predictable. Most of the lyrics weren’t too impressive here. Standard weed song fare. Not a bad track though.

7. Wunderworld of L.G.I.T.
Beat is funky and the flow is machine gun quick. Mixing on chorus could have been better, although the verses are clear. Energy and mic presence is there.

8. Get Down, Jerz Up ft. Chupie! & Ravenis
Chorus is alright, too simple for my tastes though and not catchy enough. Not feeling Chupie!’s vocal effects, it’s effecting lyrical clarity. His flow doesn’t vary at all throughout the verse. The beat is a proper dance tune. Jbiz brings a solid verse that switches flow here and there. Ravenis has good flow and energy but not much content. Typical club track, but it does the job

9. Come Zone Out
This beat’s a hype double-time affair. Jerz comes in strong with a chain of multi-syllabic punch-lines. I like the vicious tone in Jerz’ voice. The chorus is very catchy. Flow is vicious. This track doesn’t offer much variance from the first portion of the tape.

10. Don’ Know
An interesting concept track. Vocal mixing could have been clearer and a bit louder. Dope content. Doubles could have been tighter.

11. Effortlessly
Dope beat that knocks. Chorus is pretty decent. I like the way Jerz starts with a well-ranged delivery. “Hardboiled” stood out. Early second verse has a pronunciation slip. “Zach Morris” Haha! “And texture” Nice. More punch-line hyphy but there were some fresh lines in this one.

12. We Go Hard
The chorus is way too repetitive. “Played through the tri-state”. Content in this track is noticeably more generic than other similar tracks so far.

13. Dreams R Made Of
Smooth beat and a well patterned chorus start this off. Vocal quality is way down on this verse. Dope rhyme scheme. Last verse is mixed much better. Nice vocab. “Pockets hurl” alright.

14. Y.B. Million Buckz
Beat is cool, but a lot like the other hyphy beats throughout the tape. Chorus is alright. “Entertaining in costumes”. Flow is there. No lines really stand out for me here.

15. Like A Star [L.G.I.T. Mix]
Beat is techno-like and danceable. Chorus works well with the samples. Jerz’ verse fits the track and topic well. “Spacecraft” nice. It’s an R&B collabo but there is a lot more singing than rapping.

16. Heartbeat
Much needed change of beat style. Vocal mix needs work. “Main thing, music” True.
I can appreciate the heart references.

17. Conglomerate Bars
Clubby beat. Diggin’ the rhyme scheme. “As hard as obama clique” ok.


18. And The Beat Goes On
“Boisenbarry platter” nice. Chill beat. Dope rhyme scheme. Chupie! has a good voice but simplistic rhymes.

19. Trouble
Vocals are a little low. Another concept track that casts a wider net on more topics. Beat is tight with good samples. “Flippin’ money just to get this gas money”, “hold my shine” are fresh.

20. All Nite
Predictable sample based on title, but the beat is alright though… for a minute then you realize there’s too much going on, too much percussion. “Flyer than any chopper” played. Next verse brings a vicious flow and unique delivery.

21. RIP Jorge Jorb Baerga
Concept joint. Sentimental track that pays respect to a fallen friend. Not heavily lyrical but a cool track that pays its proper respects. A nice change to the majority of the tape’s theme.

22. Jerz On It ft. Heat, Yung C, & Rocco
Hard, Em/50 type beat. Heat vaguely reminds me of 50 actually. “AC” played but ok. Good delivery. “Ain’t no more trunk space” Haha! Chorus vocals are way too loud. Rocco has a smooth approach but a simple rhyme scheme. Biz brings a hard delivery that fits the beat. “Da-feet” very common wordplay.

23. Thank You [Outro]
Shout out track. I like how the lyrics match the original song’s flow and rhyme scheme at parts.

24. Shhh [Bonus]
Multis abound. One of the more underground-like beats on the tape. Chorus is alright. “Glisten, ain’t even got a chain” ok.

25. Where I’m At by Rocco ft. JBiz
First MC has a West Coast flow but it plods. Quirks in Biz’ vocal mix.



Strengths:

+ Jbiz has a solid and consistent flow that refuses to miss a snare. Many songs had above average flow that catches the listener’s ear instantaneously.
+ Delivery was on point and even switched up at times, although more changeups would have been nice.
+ The beats were of good quality and not over exposed.
+ Jbiz’ rhyme scheme was on point. It never felt redundant.

Weaknesses:

- Too many hyphy songs and not enough originality in topics. Most songs involved addressing haters or talk of how sick the MC is. Especially with a mixtape this long, it can bore the listener to hear 10 songs with identical themes. The more diversity, the better.
- Overall, the lyrics were well crafted, but there is definitely a lot of room for more poetic devices such as metaphors, similes, etc. A lot of the lyrics seemed too straight forward.
- Vocal mixing and engineering were lacking in many songs, although most were very listenable.

Compatibility/Appeal Rating:
Underground: 35%
Mainstream: 65%

Favorite Song: Biz Iz Goin In


Face Value: 8.2/10



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