Album Notes

Verso is at once a unique and extraordinary example of artistic creativity and a familiar continuation of classic traditions. Much like Hip-hop itself, Verso was born on the island of Jamaica, migrated with his parents to America at a very young age, and has grown through and along with the progression of urban culture.

Any description of Verso as an artist has to begin with lyrical ability. It is the foundation that allows him the freedom to go anywhere and do anything he wants to artistically. It is also the source of his ability to speak to the wide range of people that seem so drawn to his words. Verso embodies the catchy, charismatic, edgy and fun nature that has made rap music the billion-dollar commercial industry that it currently is.

What sets him apart the most from other contemporary rappers is that he is able to entertain people without the stereotypical misogyny, profanity, violence, and crime that have become so cliché that they are now accepted as part of mainstream pop culture. As his debut album Audio Visuals shows, Verso provides an alternative that excels from socially aware messages, to the braggadocio, to adept storytelling, and even to dancehall reggae. There is truly something for everyone on this album which reflects the fact that there is something for everyone in this uniquely talented artist.

Representing both Jamaica and his current home of Philadelphia to the fullest, Verso is everything that is right about hip-hop. His very laid-back off-stage personality lulls unsuspecting audiences into a false sense of unimportance until he takes center stage and captivates the crowd with articulate, clear, and precise rhymes such as, “Just like, Marvin Harrison or Dwayne Wade,/ my aim is not to be famous but to make plays./ So watch me,/ underdog from the city of Rocky./ Understand, underestimation ain’t gon’ stop me./ A shame. To get attention, gotta be ungodly,/ that’s not me, I’m as quiet as the T in tsunami./ Get it?”

Once Verso’s music enters your ears, his world appears before your eyes. Welcome to Hip-hop’s past, present and future.