Man, this shit is grrrrittttty, raw and REAL...Hip hop rappin' trueness...None of that same ol'/same ol'...You took it back home with this...

It\'s been too long since I\'ve seen an MC rocking a fresh pair of Cazals on the cover of an album. While the look might be an unabashed nod to the old school, the music from this New York producer/lyricist isn\'t the least bit concerned with looking back. His self-described \"progressive street sound\" is \"the deconstruction of \'street life\' the mainstream has falsely glorified.\" If you think this sounds like a perspective modern hip hop is in desperate need of, you won\'t have a problem embracing the thick beats and intelligent flows that make up the 15 tracks on this one. Producing the majority of the beats himself, he does a great job of giving the music an overall sense of cohesiveness, without repeating structures or falling back on similar sounds from track to track. His lyrics and vocal style keep it up, adjusting to the feel and subject matter of each cut. \"Watch Out\" is thick and slightly bouncing, with a dense street vibe that is executed flawlessly. \"Kidz\" is filled with compassion and confessions of uncertainly, a pause for pondering that comes across as sincere and thoughtful. Another high point is \"Fame,\" a narrative tale that takes on a \"what if?\" point of view and really explores the actualities of this goal so many people strive for. The song, along with the rest of the record, is conscious and pragmatic, without sacrificing any of the authenticity you\'d expect from an East Coast MC who knows his craft so well. And it makes for some great music.