Coolzey is a self-proclaimed farmers kid from Des Moines, Iowa. That alone could make people go "uh... next," but if you take quality hip-hop seriously, you'll want to take time to hear him out. Coolzey is heavily inspired by the golden era of hip-hop, from the flows to the style of production where the crackle from sampled records remains in the mix. The old school values are there, but they are not as obvious as those Jurassic 5 used. He Did is a 6 song EP (or a short album running at 29 minutes, if you want to get technical) that shows he loves to write, and does not mind showing a sense of humor. You probably never heard anyone in hip-hop do a song about the not-so-unusual food combination of "French Fries & Ice Cream" but here he is, doing just that, without regret. The title track, and “Mentality,” target fake MC’s who try to be what they aren’t. Coolzey doesn’t claim that he’s from the city or has the type of street credibility that can be an important part of the way an artist is promoted. In fact, he stays true to his literal roots with “Trees And Dirt,” which talks about the contributions of farmers across the country and around the world. While the topic may seem out of place on a hip-hop CD, it doesn’t sound out of place here. Vocally, he comes off sounding a bit like early Justin Warfield. Coolzey not only produced his own beats but did the turntable work on here, a self-contained artist who is very confident about how he wants to present himself and his music to the world. It would be interesting to see what he would be able to do with other producers, but a full-length album with nothing but Coolzey-beats would certainly make it one of the must-have releases of any year.

Sick beats! Must have album!!