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Being an avid fan of hip hop I find myself digging through the
artist lists found on mp3.com. Most of my visits lead me to
some real mediocre acts, some of which I
label poor based solely on the
sound quality, or lack of. Underground artists
don't typically
have the budget to produce music that sounds professionally
produced, or close to it. But when I stumbled upon Ira Davis
(AKA Enigma) and company, I thought that I had found
a few needles
in the mp3.com haystack. After one complete listen,
I was impressed
to say the least. From start to finish you will not only
be entertained, but you will anticipate your next listen.
Everything on the disc seems well laid up, well thought
out, and executed near perfection. I will put my back against
the wall and say this: This just may be the best underground
hip hop CD that I have had the honour of listening to. This is
one bold sentiment, but one that I state with sincerity.
Some critics (of me and/or the site) may come at me claiming that
I am embellishing my review due to the fact that this is the
first underground hip hop review on the site, but I would
disagree wholeheartedly. In fact, Ira Davis approached me with
the idea of a review and offered up a giveaway copy for us to
distribute. In conclusion, I didn't choose to review this disc
after listening to it. I didn't choose the album period, the
album chose me so-to-speak.
Underground Mactown Vol.1 consists of 12 joints weighing in at
slightly over 44 minutes. While I would have liked to see a
few additional tracks on the set, I am appreciative of the
concreteness found within the track listing. Instead of having a few
'filler' tracks, the set is 12 solid efforts.
Ok, let us get down to business...the music.
Underground Mactown v1 takes its first step by directly
placing you inside the music. No skits, no unwinding silence,
just music.
'Stressed' welcomes
you with one sick bass line, laced
with an accompanying sound that is catchy, but secondary.
The
vocals take precedence often times overshadowing whatever it
is that lies in the background, in this case the
instrumentation. The listener can hear it, but the vocals are
out there by themselves on a lonely limb. You gain
appreciation for the entire package simply because the lyrics
are minimized in the opener. What do I mean? The track is a
mere 2:40, but the lyrics grow silent leaving the repetitious
beat floating on the surface. It isn't as if the track lacks
polishfor separating the lyrics from the music, it is rather
typical of some artists. Instead Ira Davis (Enigma)
and co. make it work. The track is
not the best on the list, by my standards, but it does end up
sticking out once my CD player slows to a halt. This track
does a great job carrying on the message that is embedded
within the package.
The rest of the album has a similar flavour. The follow up to
the opener, 'All I Want', is equally impressive, in regards to
the overall sound and expressiveness. The lyrics remain on
task, alongside a beat that is great at complementation. The
beat that is used is entirely unique and is one of the busiest
on the 12 song set. It is difficult to focus in on the beat,
but seeing the style of Enigma allows you to respect that
decision. Rather than going in to my interpretation of the
lyrics, I will leave all of that up to you. I suggest you
explore this artist, taking your own listen. This set is worth
a few minutes of your time.
'All Out' jumped out at me for its
lyrical flow. Traxskematyx jabs
his way through this 4 minute-plus
track before being rewarded the technical knockout. The beat used in
'All Out' is not one that will topple the
Billboard, but it fits fantastically well
with the previous tracks. Also, the beats
that have been used up until this point are great at
establishing style and sound. I absolutely love the beat
choice, although some people may have a criticism or two to
offer up. I don't. Considering this is a
collection of Various Artists the theme the album takes on is
outstanding. It all seems to piece together in a seamless
fashion.
'A Little Something' may be my
favourite jam on the album. The beat
is heavier and reminiscent of a few commercial beats, although
the resemblance is not what makes this track so appealing. The
lyrical spit rides so well with the rest of the production,
even though this track strays from the original path. This
track does an excellent job of showing off the depth and
variety that J. Doe is capable of. I hate to sound like a
fan boy,
but after 3 -4 dozen listens I have the impossible task of
scanning for downsides. Fortunately, I have yet to find
anything significant.
'Pop It' &
'Evicted' follow with more of the same. Neither track
is Earth shattering, but they contain the ability of
captivating and entertaining. 'Pop It' reminds me of something
that you would hear in the club, although I would not consider
it club music. It is upbeat and has a quick flow that would
make most underground hip hoppers (and listeners) lend their
appreciation and respect, both of which should enable these
guys to find their way to the mainstream, if that is their
goal. 'Evicted'
is dramatically different than 'Pop It', but at
the same time it has a similar value. The tempo has been
reduced, yet the flow is just as fluid. Of
course everything
has been downsized, but nothing has been removed from
the
track. This is one fine track, from one fine rapper.
'My Hideout'
finds itself in the 7th spot flying high above
most of the track list. I give an up
most shout-out to John Doe
for his contribution of this gem. In the initial stages you
find yourself lost in space listening to the sound of a
simplistic piano rift. The sound gains volume when the piano
gets joined up with a pad creating a sound that is bursting at
the seams, waiting to explode. Suddenly all of the parts slam
into gear, BLASTOFF! With all due respect to the band, I am
amazed at how full this clip ended up, as when you listen
close you can hear the simplicity. Everything was laid out and
executed perfectly. From the distorted vocal effects to the
lyrical message to the prominent deadly beat, this
track excels from every angle. Tracking in at over 5 minutes,
'My Hideout' will carry you from start to finish, all the while
keeping your attention maxed out. To be honest, I have a
difficult time proceeding to the next track.
My finger remains
glued to the repeat function.
'Ho-Ma-Cide' is next in the
line-up. The only problem that this
track has it trying to fill the shoes that 'My HideOut'
has left
behind. This track is able to do so and then some. Let me give
credit where credit is due, the hook found within
'Ho-Ma-Cide'
is extraordinary. The track finds itself relatively bland up
until you hear the hook, at which time goose bumps line
up in
numbers. I have to give props to everyone involved with this
project. It is one of the most creative, well defined projects
(albums) that I have heard to date, both mainstream and
underground. The thought that has went into this is not only
evident, but it should find the respect of any hip hop addict
out there. I will also admit that I got more enjoyment out of
the lyrics on number8 than any of the other tracks. The
creativeness, oh the creativeness.
Mad Hou$e bumps up the bpm on the beat and slams his way onto
the album. Although the flow on 'N' A Mad Mans Dream' is on par
with the rest of the album, I found myself having little
interest throughout. This is one of the more average songs on
the album, but with that said it isn't worthy of getting
skipped over.
'Only Da Strong Survive' sees number 10 on the display and again
falters at being labelled one of those strong survivors. The
beat is comforting as it sits in on the back shelf
accompanying South SET, but comfort doesn't fit the mold that
has been cast from the previous numbers. This track is an
excellent example of the impressive production that has went
into the album. For example, the tune is one that caught the
minimal amount of my attention, but it didn't drag down my
impression of the album.
The final two numbers on the play list are night and day.
'A
Brand New Day' is typical Ira Davis. If you found his style
appealing to this point, then you will eat this track up with
a spoon. Personally, I was bumpin' to the track from the first
few seconds until the music stopped. 'A Brand New
Day' is
inspiring and carries great expressionism. Hip Hop lovers
beware: You Will Like This. Listen to it and see for yourself.
'In Search of Mornin''
is vastly different. The track is simply a
message being chattered in the shadow of a beat. This is the
weakest area of the album, but considering it for what it is
worth, you can live with it. I usually skip over it, but there
is nothing in my mind that would make me think that you will
do the same. Track12 is an acquired taste, either you'll love
it or hate it.
--
Concluding remarks: I recommend that you pick up a copy of
this album. It is not a project that will vault them into
superstardom, but I feel that it is a great album, one that
should get them massive attention. Underground Mactown V1 has
gotten my respect and will keep me interested for a lengthy
period of time. If you have a love for underground hip-hop,
then this is a must have. From track you track you will hear
their passion for the art of making music. The beauty of this
rare genre is that you get exposed to raw music; music that is
filled with desire to entertain, music that has explosive
potential, music that comes from the heart. This is an
excellent set of tracks.
4.5 Planets Easily. The only gripes that I had with the album
were of a relative fashion. The tracks that failed to catch my
attention were simply overpowered by other attempts on the
album, but when matched up with similar caliber songs, they
would be shining ever so bright.
To all of the naysayers, go pick this up and give it a chance.
Like I have stated before, the album will not win them a
Grammy or sell a million copies, but it should be able to
devastate the underground scene.
Track Listing:
01 Stressed
- Ira "ENIGMA" Davis
02 All I Want - Ira "ENIGMA" Davis
03 All Out - Traxskematyx
04 A Little Something - John Doe
05 Pop It - Gemini
06 Evicted - Traxskematyx
07 My Hideout - John Doe
(Click To Listen)
08 Ho-ma-cide - Mad War Ent.
09 N' A Mad Man's Dream - Mad Hou$e
10 Only Da Strong Survive - South SET
11 A Brand New Day - Ira "ENIGMA" Davis
12 In Search of Mornin' - J. Shawn
Ramz Rating:
4.5 out of 5 Planets
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