T.I. – DIME TRAP Review

This is an amazingly complete release that somehow doesn’t quite gel together as smoothly as it feels it should. T.I. explores a lot of different things in this album, from how he cultivated the trap sub-genre to how his mistakes have led to a lot of problems in his personal life, that together create a complete picture of the man we know.

The production is great and does compliment the message on each song. Individually, the beats all work, but when you put them together as a full album listen to, they can come across as a bit choppy and it can make listening through the whole thing a small challenge. On the other hand, a lot of listeners will simply pick out their favorites, as is the current trend, so this is not a huge disadvantage.

The lyricism is good, with a lot of uptempo rhyming to help keep energy levels up. However, when on an emotional track, T.I. bears his soul to show his side of the story and show that he knows he is a human being and that he makes mistakes. However you slice it, his performance here is phenomenal.

The features do a great job of accentuating the song they are on as well as showing their own talent. There is a real combination of tough street efforts on top of softer singers to add an extra dimension to the project. The guest selection is excellent and are only additions to this album.

Overall, this is a strong album with a lot of strong performances. T.I. continues to be a staple in hip hop and will continue to be, while hopefully having less drama.


T.I -Us Or Else: Letter To The System Review

This is a poignant and cohesive release that highlights a lot of political issues as well as others. T.I is trying to show some dark areas of America and he succeeds and then some.

The production is smooth and helps the tracks to flow easily as a listening experience, making it simple to listen to the message of the songs. There is some variation in energy levels as well as pace to bring a good amount of variation to the listen through. There are no issues here as there is nothing dull about the backing beats.

The lyricism is clever as well as passionate, which helps boost the impact of the rhymes. T.I weaves great tapestries of how he currently sees America and the issues inside. There are no problems with the words on this project as there is diversity in the flow, schemes and wordplay used to create an enlightening listen.

The features are great as they help give more points of view on the topics described in the tracks. Each puts in a good effort and pushes the others on the song to try harder themselves. Maybe a few more singers would give a softer touch on some of this project, but there is still a great balance between the artists.

Overall, this is a top release and T. I should be proud of his social work and his attempts to better the people of America. May his lessons not be lost on deaf ears.

Zuse – TRAPZUSE Review

This is a good project if you have not heard Zuse before. if you have, it can be enjoyed but may also become stale.

The production is good and allows a lot of room for Zuse to use his signiture style. The beats use a lot of deeper sounds to complement Zuse’s vocal tone and allows for him to sound comfortbale over the backings. Maybe a few attempts out of the comfort zone could make some more interesting moments but Zuse sticks by what works for him.

The lyricism is not complex is is very centred on the trap side of Hip Hop, as the title suggests. This leads to most of the appeal being in Zuse’s delivery and performance skills, which are good, but not enough to carry the project.

The features do a good job of helping keep Zuse’s tone interesting. They break up the hearing of one voice and help make the project more listenable. Some features from different genres may help make this project pop more, but Zuse has selected a strong list of guests on this.

Overall, this is a good project to hear once, but will lose a lot of flavour after hearing it once. There is no longevity in this project.

Jake Lambo – Unorthodox 2 Review

This is a good project for Jake Lambo as he gets some big name features and shows that he has improved his ability. It also helps to show he can put a song together.

The production is good without overshadowing Jake’s rhymes. There is a good amount of variation in the beats which helps show how universal Jake’s style is. If he tried to apply a bit more energy into some more tracks, that may lead to a wider audience.

The lyricism is improved from his last project and helps make a more enjoyable mixtape. With the additional lyrical techniques used, Jake shows himself as a growing force. He may not be the mosty elite lyrical rapper, but he is starting to head that way.

The features are good and show that Jake has some good chemistry with others in the industry. With some larger names on this project, Jake does well not to get overshadowed and holds his own. Each of the features puts in a good verse and helps tie the project together a bit more.

Overall, this is an enjoyable listen with some deeper delving into Jake’s personal history and should be a stepping stone on his way to mainstream success. If he gets a hit single, his ability to craft a project would help him keep the fame.

B.o.B Presents – No Genre: The Label Review

This is a very enjoyable mixtape to listen to, but when you break each track down it comes across as very formulaic. Each is very good but when you compare them, they have a lot of similarities that make each track less special.

The production is very good but a whole listen through can be difficult to stomach. While each one is very good on its own, next to the other tracks, all of them have the same run through when it comes to layout. On the other hand, the energy and excitement in the actual beats can make them very entertaining to listen to.

The lyricism is there but is mostly based on multi syllable techniques as a crutch to lean on. The main artists on this project are all in the same vein of rap with only a small amount of differentiation between all of them. If they all had a more stand out flow to help each of them stand out, it would be more of a showcase of their talents.

With only one feature, this was a good move to help make each of the artists on the project stand out more rather than compete against others. It is better for the No Genre Label to simply show what they can do and not compare themselves to the rest of the rap world just yet.

Overall, this is a good project for energizing the listener but it is not for all audiences. No Genre is not specifically true as there is a lot of rap and Hip Hop roots but there are outside influences thrown in to spice up the musical pot.