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: "XS" by Jesse Abraham

1. Abraham & Cheese
Clever title. Clips from an audio book playing over a pretty decent beat.

2. So Whatcha Feelin’? Ft. Jenny Hartman
Diggin this beat. Fast marching-band percussion and groovy bass line. “Droppin cakes and candy corns” odd. “Mental laps/lapse” nice. The chorus is quirky but vibeable. “Efficient vibration” hehe. Flow speeds up nicely on last verse. The lyrics on this last verse are very abstract and random. Very hard to follow.

3. Either
Nice beat, remind me of a joint Jay-Z rocked before. The chorus is alright. “like Dr. Pepper when he throws his soda out” I have no idea what that means. Flow is on-point. “Nickel bag trickles”. Dope rhyme scheme/structure. Vocal production is off. “Stripper in a Duke dorm” reference was fairly obscure. “Genitals, heel” haha!

4. Between The Bars ft. Top $ Raz, Spills, & Pete Colon
The beat is sick, loving the deep synth. Vocals on chorus are too low and partially incoherent.
Raz – Nice multi-syllable rhymes. Delivery and flow work with the beat well. “Comes with the territory” tight.
JAbra – Good delivery and flow. Lyrics are on the battle tip. Dope rhyme scheme. Delivery change-ups are sick. Some of the content seemed out of place.
Pete – Vocals are too low. Interesting delivery. Nothing stood out lyric-wise.
All three verses were speaking on 3 different topics. No thematic cohesion at all.

5. Now I Know
The beat is bumping with a catchy percussion. Feelin’ the chorus. “Series of moments”. First track with a solid topic. “A part of each other” nice. “I’m a fraction”.

6. Softly
A dopely mixed & sampled beat.

7. Just In Time ft. YC The Cynic
Chorus is well structured but Jesse’s singing voice is too monotone. Beat is righteous. Flow is vicious. “Shuckin’ the corn” Haha! What!?
YC – Very on topic. “I fly with it”. Effective delivery and nice flow.
JA – Diggin’ this drastic change in delivery. More on-topic here. “Hadoken a wristwatch” hehe. Cool bridge-like transition before the last couple lines.

8. I Can’t Quit You
Beat is super-tight. “Legally bequeaths me with beats” ok. Great vocabulary. “Trees, leaves, and seedling.. paper” dope. Diggin’ the delivery a lot. Nice multis. Well done vocal effects.

9. All I Know Is
Chill beat, I feels it. “Playing with a dradel” Haha!! Chorus is decent. Nice topic and content.

10. When
Funky beat. “Stop being bendy” Haha! “When will vaccines get infected”, “When did everyone start wearing tight pants”, “Ticklish”. Unique topic and rhyme scheme.

11. The Sit Down
This was weird/interesting haha. It could have been better developed. If it's a "voicemail" how are you responding to him?

12. The Sickest
Vocal production is low quality. Some nice mixing, but also sometimes it’s too much. “Disinfect it”. Diggin’ this chorus.

13. That Song
Vocal production needs work. Flow is a tad basic compared to flow on previous songs. The main chorus sample is somewhat annoying after a while.

14. March
Very synthy and clubbish beat, I digs. Organs add nicely to it. Soft background ambient synth make a smooth transition. I like evolution of percussion after that midpoint. This is a really unique mix of techno, house, and hip-hop.

15. Take Me
Chorus is cool. “Even then we say yum” haha. The topic romantically describes NYC. The delivery was alright, but I felt was not up to par as in some of the earlier tracks.



Strengths
+ Excellent flow that stays on beat all throughout and changes up at the right times.
+ Varied rhyme structure that makes great effort towards keeping the listener’s attention.
+ Sick delivery in most of the tracks.
+ Guest artists were on-point for the most part.
+ Awesome beat production.

Weaknesses
- Random lyrics and content peppered much of the first half of this tape that can leave the listener confused and de-immersed.
- The bottom portion of the tape, from 11-15, consisted of tracks that, while more on-topic, were more bland than the first 10 songs, with not many stand-out lines at all.
- Vocal production was a mixed bag. Some tracks were well engineered, while others were clearly not.
- Jesse’s delivery was lackluster towards the end, especially compared to the first set of tracks.
- Song topics in the first half could have been better thought out and cohesive.



Compatibility Rating:
Underground: 75%
Mainstream: 25%


Favorite Song: Now I Know


Face Value: 7.8/10



CLICK HERE FOR A FREE FULL DOWNLOAD OF XS


CONTACT INFO

http://jesseabraham.com/index-highres.html
http://twitter.com/jesseabraham
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseAbraham212

Mixtape Review: "Fighting For Futures Worldwide" by Various Artists

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


CLICK HERE FOR A FREE FULL DOWNLOAD OF FIGHTING FOR FUTURES WORLDWIDE


CONTACT INFO


http://www.feleciacruz.com/
http://twitter.com/futurefighters
http://twitter.com/feleciacruz
http://twitter.com/spillsmusic