Review - "Hiatus": It seems to me that a large portion of mainstream society has little respect of or appreciation for the art of rhyme. And with good reason. A lot of mainstream hip-hop demonstrates elementary rhyme techniques and lyrical schemes. In the underground, however, you often find more talented MCs who possess the ability to skillfully manipulate beats with intelligent, quick-witted and difficultly precise flows. Paradox is one such MC. Using a combination of sarcastically staccato flow and hard-hitting intensely annunciated lyrics, Paradox boasts the ability of a truly talented rapper and poet. His production is uniquely eclectic and often classically influenced, with myriad instrumental sounds and a productive creativity seldom seen outside of high-quality underground hip-hop. And his flow is about as fast as you can get while maintaining a comprehensive direction and understanding. Within just a couple tracks, I could easily notice that this kid has some lyrical skill. A paradox is defined as a true statement that often leads to a contradiction or situation which defies intuition. In essence, a paradox is something that recognizes some kind of unstated assumption underlying a accepted truth. Using this definition and a modern day understanding of popular hip-hop music, the name Paradox fits this MC perfectly. If only the mainstream would hear talented MCs like Paradox, their appreciation for the art of rhyme would undoubtedly increase. The cover of Paradox's "Hiatus" includes drawings of mangroves, tropical trees with inpenetratable prop roots that play an important role in development purposes and land building, as well a wildlife habitats. In cases where mangroves have been removed, the coastline is subject to rapid erosion, and the wildlife is victim to strong winds and waves. I think this is representative of hip-hop, a culture that stands victim to criticism and negativity if its underground roots are removed. Paradox is an MC that represents the mangrove-esque roots of hip-hop, an example of an MC that is a paradox to those who view mainstream hip-hop as the real thing. If that's something you can appreciate, I highly recommend checking out his album.

I have this theory that rap and hip-hop are dying. Dying might be too harsh of a word; maybe degrading or maybe simply experiencing a transition period. No matter what word I use, rap music is changing in a negative way. Artists reuse the same bass-heavy beats and violent and sex-infused lyrics. It is not that this rap music is necessarily bad, it’s just that the music all sounds the same. It is almost as if rap music is inbreeding; there is so little variety that the genre is falling apart. The only people that seem to be keeping the genre in a healthy, functioning state are those underground rappers that are capable of producing creative and original music. When one of these rappers appears, it is truly refreshing to hear his (or her) unique sound. That is exactly how it feels to listen to Paradox’s album Hiatus: refreshed. Matt Klassen a.k.a. Paradox released Hiatus, his first solo album, after returning from a two-year stint in Belize. Living in Belize obviously had a profound effect on Paradox. His approach to humanity, poverty, the United States, and many other aspects of life were all strongly impacted by his living in a foreign country. Hiatus seems to be dedicated to sharing and also discovering the new beliefs and sentiments that Paradox acquired from his two-year experience. Paradox uses his music not only as an outlet to express his more world-weary views, but also as a method of discovering his own feelings on music and life. Each song is laced with Paradox’s passionate views on one of the many problems that the world faces, or his realizations of the fact that the world has many problems to face. “It Goes,” for example, is an observation of the issues of race that face American culture while “Bastard” is an earnest statement about the poverty and abuse many children face. Amazingly enough, Paradox is able to provide this commentary on heavy issues without sounding cheesy or cliché like many rappers do. This is primarily due to Paradox’s intelligent and original lyrics and wordplay. While at first his voice may sound a little awkward, this feeling will quickly disappear once the listener reaches the fourth track, “Moonboots.” This track demonstrates Paradox’s amazing skill for creating graceful, rhythmic, and coherent raps. Paradox is able to create lyrics that not only rhyme and flow, but also make perfect sense. It seems that many rappers become so concerned with making their rhymes flow with the beat that they do not realize when their lyrics no longer make sense. Paradox, on the other hand, possesses an uncanny ability to generate rhymes that sound more like poetry than the lyrics to a hip-hop song. If the listener is still skeptical of Paradox’s rapping ability, one listen to “Peace,” a track in which Paradox freestyles effortlessly, will no doubt cause a change in opinion. Paradox teamed up with many of his fellow rappers on the Voice Box Records label to produce the beats on Hiatus. Paradox rotates through funky and upbeat music such as “In Check” and “Drop the Drums,” and very intense, orchestra-heavy music like “From 49 to 50.” The beats always mesh well with whatever subject Paradox is discussing. “Sketches of Belize,” Paradox’s tribute to the lessons he learned about himself and others while in Belize, features soft guitar, flute, and drums that together project an exotic sound which is very fitting for the song. The music, while not hugely original is one of the strongest aspects of the album. It is imaginative enough to attract fans of underground rap, but it is catchy enough to appeal to fans of mainstream music. Between his well-constructed beats, humanitarian lyrics, and witty wordplay, Paradox has crafted a solid hip-hop album that will attract any rap fan. Hiatus is a sincere and poetic glimpse of the world through the eyes of a man who has had his life profoundly altered. This glance at the world is full of so much spirit and insight that it should not be missed. Paradox, as this album displays, possesses the passion and love of music that is capable of saving the rap music genre from its downfall (and/or musical inbreeding).

well in a one word. RAW. paradox, I love you.

I am a picky listener w/ no time to give cd's a chance. This is automatic dopeness that gets better as you listen further & further. It's got some nice intellectual joints as well as some old school/good vibe hip hop tracks. Clever wordplay, sick beats, impressive production... Just buy the damn thing & thank me later. -dig