Saturday, May 4, 2013

1985 (Compilation) Review


1985 Review- Black Angel/The Villain




Tracks that define the album:
1. 4 Da Streets
2.Lovin' Da Crew
3.Day Dreaming
4.Birthday
5.Bands


The artists featured on this album represent the New Orleans scene well. The two contain a unique combination of gritty, accented, down south style of lyricism that people find so appealing due to the accents that most southerners have and express in Dirty South, or Southern Rap. The compilation contains 18 tracks, 11 by Black Angel, 2 solo songs by The Villain, and the other five tracks are both performed by the two artists combined.

The compilation contains a wide variety of tracks from slow jams like Let's Get It On (Which samples the all-time classic by Marvin Gaye), All I Do (A track about love at first site which ultimately leads to a one-night stand), and Lovin' Da Crew (A story-progression track of a girl who ultimately fell "in love" as a groupie of Uptown Madness). To street anthems such as 4 Da Streets and the Nightmare on Elm Street sampled track Nightmare, to a wide variety of freestyles on various topics:

Rock Da Bells (Introduction to the album/ Black Angel)
War (A description of a normal day awakening to the streets of New Orleans)
Bright Idea (Thoughts that Black Angel has on his street life, and a message to his hater's in the streets)
Game (A description of Black Angels thoughts on "The Game", meaning the hustle and street game, and also the game being the music industry)
Bands (A song describing one of Black Angel's trips and/or thoughts on a strip club) (Popular in the south)

And so forth

Black Angel catches your attention immediately with the track titled Rock Da Bells in which he follows a unique, but known style of rapping similar to Easy E and Run-DMC. He, however, consistently changes his flow and interpretation on lyrics up depending on the type of song he is doing at a later point. For example, the song All I Do, Angel takes a slowed tempo and deeper lyrics approach to his verses. He is a very versatile artist with unique lyrics designed and written to catch you attention, for example the lines, 
"They say that love is a flower
That needs the sun and the rain
They say that a little bit of pleasure
Is worth a whole lot of pain"

In which he describes his interpretation on not only love, but also life itself in general. He consistently expresses his versatility throughout the entire compilation with That Villain and shows that he is truly a unique, well-defined, success-driven, and very versatile artist, who should continue to pursue his dream, and with a little work, could be widely known, not only in his city, but also around the world. 

The Villain brings his gritty, yet high-toned, explicit, street savvy to the compilation with his own tracks Lookin Ass Nigga (In which he samples Lil Wayne, A New Orleans Native) and the track Let's Get It On (In which he samples Marvin Gaye). With the song Lookin Ass Nigga, Villain expresses his thought in reference to his "haters" in the sense that he is successful in everything he does in the city of New Orleans. He expresses his street lifestyle and his thoughts on what he does on a day-to-day basis with lyrics such as:

A nigga might gun me down in the streets tonight
But if I wake up the next morning, everything's all right...

Yes as I rest my hand on that mac .90
New Orleans is my city so you know where to find me
Keep these bitches in check these rappers pose me no thereat
Murder who pussy, boy stop
I ain't dead yet

As you can tell from the lyrics, Villain represents himself as well as his city to the fullest, and is a threat to be reckoned with when he becomes a major in this industry (If you don't believe it, just look up Lil Wayne net worth, and see how much this New Orleans native has made thus far in the industry)


With the track, Let's Get It On. Villain expresses in a very explicit way his affection for a female partner. In the first verse, he expresses love and his feelings about it on a real level in saying that love is extremely difficult to find and that most chicks will put up with abuse to day, and claim it's "love". He also expresses that he wants an independent, loyal, "ride or die" woman who will be there through thick and thin, and if worst comes to worse be able to handle herself. He has a very unique, gritty, honest, and well thought out approach. Although his lyrics are simple, and follow a simplistic rhythm, Villain uses his flow and style to catch the attention of the listener by using low-toned vocals that immediately makes one listen carefully to ensure they understand and catch what he says.

The second verse, expresses the sexual encounter with words such as

Its Friday, club night
The week is gone
I'm feelin freaky, for the weekend
Let’s get it on
I'm tryna hear you scream my name
And make you moan
Satisfaction guaranteed, cuz the sex game strong

All in all the two have created a pretty unique compilation, but in my personal opinion, it sounded more like a collection of freestyles rather than an album. I am unsure if this was the initial intention, so I can't negatively judge the compilation based on the assentation that it was. I would like to say that if you enjoy a variety of music, and especially freestyles, that you should definitely give this a listen. It's not professional grade, mainstream music that you would hear from a major artist, but it is true, well-rooted music that is full of emotion, honesty, explicit lyrics, and contains a true "Dirty South" vibe.

THIS HAS BEEN A REAL WILL REVIEW 

Links:


If you wish to read other reviews, simply view the entire blog entitled Real Will Reviews. Also be sure to check out my other blogs listed on my profile, which can be found via the link below. Also below, is a link to the compilation that you may view to listen to the completed and full album/mix tape. Also be sure to follow my official record label on twitter @Real_Will_CEO

Thanks to all who view this blog,

Comments are welcome,

William

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Swag Talkin' Review

Yung D CEO-Swag Talkin' Mixtape Review





Overall Summary:

Swag Talkin’ by Yung D CEO featuring a handful of well selected producers and his long time friend and musical partner Deezy Mac, have put together a fine example of true Rap in all it’s ruggedness, grittiness, hard-hitting bass, and unique use of synth to come up with an overall catchy, head-bobbing, classic mix of sound. 

Yung D has his own lingo in which he enjoys using words such as “Splash”, “Swag” and “Turn Up” in which he grabs the attention of the listener and has them vibbing to each and every track. Every track featured on the mixtape contains k.o. Punch lines, gritty, yet high-toned lyrics, and a slowed, but catchy flow in which he expresses his vocal range on several tracks.

Track by Track: 

The mixtape starts out with a banga entitled “Came Out The Trap” in which CEO expresses his hood and the life in which he is exposed to on a daily basis expresses that he must put on for his city and represent it to the fullest. 

In the second track, Yung D expresses his affection for miss CEO, his significant other in which he expresses that she is as true to him, and as real as him. All of his vocals appear to be done straight up with little mixing, which makes the track even more better due to the fact that he is singing the hook straight up with no autotune, gimmicks, echo, or reverb. 

After he takes a break and expresses some affection, he gets right back into his street savvy flow and creates another street anthem with “IDGAF” in which he expresses that no matter what his haters feel, that he will continue to stay true to himself and that he doesn’t “give a fuck” how others view him in reference to his swag, outlook on music, their feelings in reference to his girl, or any of the above. 

The forth track features his close friend and music partner, Deezy Mac in which the two flow about themselves and that they have risen up and began something in the music career and retired from trappin’ now that they are rappin’. Dezzy’s verse is full of energy and his flow is straight forward and sticks to the true roots of southern rap with the use of shout and response, echo, and reverb in which the ends of phrases are repeated to emphasize a point that is made (Similar to Lil Jon’s style of rapping). 

Miss CEO is a more street savvy version of Yung D expressing his affection for his girl. These tracks are common in Sothern rap music, in which rappers express explicitly their affection and descriptions of their women in a cocky way to make others jealous, mainly other males who they don’t like. He uses the term “Swag talk” in this track to emphasize that it’s the truth. It’s CEO’s interpretation of the term “real talk”. In the track Yung D uses phrasing at the ends of several lines in the second verse while he is singing in a comical way to further envy his enemies and any who oppose him, by using cockiness to emphasize the fact that his girl is better than theirs.


The track money talk, featuring Kenarotic, is a flex and stunt anthem commonly found in southern rap in which an artists glamourizes his lifestyle and expresses the way he lives now compared to what he done before the fame and uptown (wealthy) lifestyle that he now lives. CEO uses a slowed down flow in which he literally talks on the track to ensure that the listener and any haters out there listening hear what he has to say. Kenorotic uses a shout and response affect, and reverb of the word “swag” to emphasize that he is “turnt up”, and that he both feels and lives on a higher level than he has in the past. 

With WTF you thinking, the producer, Gucci Boy, uses a rugged and rough style of instrumentals similar to those of 808 Mafia and Lex Luger who often use 808’s, high snares, and “Four on the floor” bass in their club bangas. The beat is heavy with bass, deep, dark brass notes on played on the lowest octave possible, and snare claps that often get those in strip clubs hype and bouncing around. (Just play the song on subwoofers and at a high volume and you’ll know what I mean). Yung D is extremely cocky in this particular track and describes the way he feels if he were in a strip club and that he doesn’t care about how any person feels, that women are now just for pleasure, and that he’s down to fight anyone who dares walk up and start something. This type of song is extremely common and admired in Dirty South rap in the sense that people located in the south are often extremely cocky, and don’t really care for anyone who doesn’t care for them.

Blow It (Freestyle) was produced by CEO’s partner Deezy Mac and contains a unique mix of synth, snare, and deep bass. In this particular track CEO represents his lifestyle in relation to celebrating what he has achieved so far in his lifetime, and expresses that no matter how much money comes in that he will still remain the same. He also emphasizes on his urge to get even more money than he already has and to see more fame and fortune in his lifetime.

See Me, was written as a foreshadowing song to anyone who doubted Yung D in reference to how people portrayed him in his youth compared to himself now. The hook expresses that now that he has become popular that people now see him and want to associate themselves with him and that they already knew who he was and his lifestyle, but now that they act like his best friends. This song is a diss to those who hated on him in the past, and who jump ship and try to act like his friend now that he has “blown up”.

What U Talkin’ Bout references what others have said about CEO in which he expresses that he doesn’t know why they what they’re saying but he does everything that they say he doesn’t and that their words are just words of envy on his success and lifestyle. The instrumentals produced by Gucci Boy again use deep, negative decibel bass that can only be heard on large subwoofers, a steady rhythm of synth, low brass chords, and hi-hats to further express CEO’s flow and makes the track even that more appealing.


WTF (Remix)

This track is a remix of the previous song, WTF U Thinkin, in which CEO features Cannial Da Cannonball. Cannial makes the remix unique by adding his own style and flow to the track with vocals that are catchy and ride the rhythm with a flow similar to a combined version of Master P and OJ Da Juiceman, that makes you want to bop your head and lay back and burn one.

CEO takes a different approach to his cockiness in which he emphasizes that you don’t wanna fuck with him and that it can only lead to negativity for whomever does. 

Y.N.G. (Young Nigga Gang)

This track is used to express that the youth are taking over the rap game and that they too, like to older vets in the industry, are capable of producing hard, rugged, and real street music. He expresses that he doesn’t rep any particular gang or have affiliation other that being a part of the youth of the nation, or Y.N.G. He uses words such as “The young takin’ over, like it ain’t a thing” to further emphasize that the youth are taking over the industry due to their increasing popularity in rap music, as well as multiple other genres. The song also describes online mediums in which the youth get their music heard in today’s society such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and so forth.

She Like

She Like, self-produced by Yung D CEO, is a twisted, trance, and bouncy instrumental that contains a heavy and deep baseline that carries on and stops throughout various points in the song. (Listen to on large speakers) The song expresses what his girl likes in reference to Gucci Bags, and designer clothing to express that he has the money to purchase anything his girl wants, and also expresses that now he just wishes to have women for sexual pleasure and doesn’t mind spending money on her in order to sleep with her. (Popular in Southern Rap). 

Swag Talkin’

The album ends with a self-entitled track that expresses the meaning of the entire album, which is “Swag Talkin”, which if you haven’t recognized it already means that one’s appearance, be it clothes, cars, money, fashion, and so forth “talk”. The track expresses the entire meaning of the mixtape. He also expresses that he doesn’t talk but let’s the swag do it for him, and in having swag that things tend to happen without him putting in any work in order for it to happen (Women wanting him, people becoming envious, etc.) 

This has been a REAL WILL REVIEW

If you wish to have your music reviewed thoroughly, and for it to be shared with the world be sure to contact me via email at William_Dodd1993@yahoo.com and be sure to place "Real Will Review" in the subject box, otherwise your email will be viewed as spam and deleted immediately. 

Thank you for viewing,

William "Real Will" Dodd

A little about Yung D CEO:

I'm  from Hartsville, SC and I make music cuz I love to I'm not in it for the money, this is my life I've been rappin' since 13, now I'm 19, doing bigger and better things. I shoot my own music videos, I wanna get a deal but if I never do it's all good I'ma still do me. I'm from the hood, never had a dollar, so people don't understand why i do this.

How It Began:

I was rappin on a house fone when i was 13 and like 14 but one day i told myself i gotta come harder than this you may think it's funny, but i was rappin on a house phone and got it on a cd. Don't ask how just know i know how to works things haha
I do shows from time to time. A lot of people look up to me that's why i can't help look to nobody but myself. I feel like it's all about me. They say never have the big head but i do.

My real name is Devon Nickelson; my stage name is Yung D CEO.
Born on June 4, 1993
My music can be views here
I don't look up to no rappers, but I like a few rapper out here. If u got dreams make it happen, even if u aint rappin' 
swag
I got my money up to get me a home booth, friends come and go, but the real ones stay.
What Motivated Me:
I look at rappers on YouTube and I be like, "Damn I can do the same thing if I put my mind to it. I got a dream like Dr King 
swag 
All I know is how to rap. Uou may think its a lie but I'm being real. They hate me and love me, but that's  life I'ma go hard for myself, not for my fans, but I do love all my real fans.

I'm all bout swag and being real
I have over 1,000 YouTube video plays
I like to push my music over the net, which I think is better for me, but i pass out CDs too.
i write all my songs never need help on that
i got what it takes
Download my new mixtape Swag Talkin', See Me Mixtape, CEO World, and No Fear on datpiff I got more music on the way 
-Yung D CEO





Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Bo$$ feat. Mer5e (Mer-see) [Prod. by Rexx Beats] Review
Ehllis

Instrumentals: 9.5
Delivery (Flow/Song Progression): 8
Originality(Are the lyrics unique?): 8

Instrumentals:

The instrumentals to the song are unique and contain a lot of well placed snares, a unique synth sound that constantly helps the lyrics flow clearly and can easily be defined as full of energy. The bass hits hard when played on large speakers, and makes the song even that much better. When the quick bass hits it will literally shake your body make you bob your head.

The only thing that I felt the instrumentals were lacking were drops. The song has stops, but a continuous snare line and progression. In my own opinion, when the song stopped, it would have been extremely interesting and close to perfect if the bass fell off and came back in quickly. This would have caught the attention of any listener and got them hype quickly and kept it steady throughout until it occurred again, or the beat dropped using snare, or a dropping bass line.

Delivery:

The hook is full of energy and the transition between the low voice (Who I believe to be Mer5e) is that of most gangsta and dirty south rappers that make the genre extremely popular. When Ehllis jumps in his voice is completely different that that of Mer5e which makes it even that more interesting and appealing, and also the grunts that he uses catch you attention because his tone is much lower than that of Ross', who is known for his grunts in his cocky street songs. When the two voices overlap, they even seem to have that "Ross affect" that makes you bob your head as well.

The flow of both artists is appealing in the fact that is switches up with each verse, and even during the hook at certain points. Mer5e's verse  is even more interesting in a delivery sense in the fact that he spits fast and clearly so that every word is heard (something that is hard for some rappers to maintain) for an example think of Busta Rhymes.

The song progression is excellent in the fact that the two artists are able to successfully describe situation in which they are bosses and that they are pleased with the fact that they are in such situation instead of being "On a bus route with a baby mama gettin cussed out".  Ehllis also describes that no matter what, signed or not, he will always feel that he is a boss. This is a prime example of a self-confident street track (To give it a title).

Originality:

The songs lyrics are unique and seem to have creative and descriptive analogies that allow for them to describe the way they feel through multiple mediums be it looking in the mirror, feeling that they are bosses even if they obtain a record deal or not, they feel like Bruce Wayne, being tar babies, and so forth. The analogies are unique and stand out due to their uncommonness in common rap music as well as the mainstream.

In conclusion, the song is a unique, cocky, self-esteem street anthem that contains catchy instrumentals, a well-defined hook, and one that the fans will enjoy. However, if the artists wish to keep their fans attention, they must continue to release tracks such as this, and keep the fans coming back and begging for more no matter what. I personally enjoyed the song, and would love to hear more from the artists individually to fully be able to tell if I am a fan of their music or not. The previous statement is not meant to definite, nor talk down to the artists, just my thoughts at the current time.

To hear more productions by Rexx Beats and/songs he's worked on with artists view the following links:

Individual Song: https://soundcloud.com/rexx-beats-1/ehllis-von-feat-mer5e-bo-prod

Rexx Beats: http://www.youtube.com/user/RexxBeats

Twitter Links for individual artists:

Rexx Beats - https://twitter.com/RexxBeats

Ehllis Von - https://twitter.com/EhllisVon

Mer5e - https://twitter.com/TeamMer5e

I hope you enjoyed my review, and like me, wish to hear more from these artists.

For reviews, email me at William_Dodd1993@yahoo.com
Follow on twitter for the latest updates @Bam_Ent_CEO

God Bless,

William "Real Will" Dodd

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Kool Kamm "Good Times Flow" Review





This track is a fine example of a genre that has many times been overlooked, and even referred to as "Dead" by Jay Z. This track is a St. Louis style Hip-Hop track that appeals to just about anyone who listens to the track, and the Hip-hop lifestyle. It is a free-verse song that is well put together and describes many aspects of the hip-hop life and also Kool Kamm as an individual. Below is a short self bio of Kool Kamm:

Cammeryn Ali (performing name Kool Kamm) was born on May 26,1990 in North St.Louis, Missouri. He's the oldest born out of 9 siblings. In his own words he says: "I like to take it as being born into a leadership position. I constantly had all eyes on me as being the big brother. I had to make an example on the right things to do in life. For example, graduate, pursue my passion, and believe in myself no matter what no one believes. My family wasn't fed with a silver spoon, anything we got....we worked for. We were the example of hard work pays off.

Kool Kamm's passion for music started at the age of six years old. He started actually singing and dancing before he decided to write raps. He wanted to be just like Micheal Jackson. But, when he heard 2Pac he knew from that moment on he wanted to rap. At first he was shy, he would never perform his raps in front of people. Nor let them know he rapped, he was a natural. In the process of getting the courage to actually start showing his talent, he made believers extremely fast. Friends and family started to believe and see the dream that's set forth in Kool Kamm. As he got older, he understood how his talent came so natural for him, his Great-Great Aunt was the famous Josephine Baker.


Kool Kamm Puts On For His City:

I" rep my city by showing another side of St.Louis, which in my opinion, is a place no one has seen. My diversity, creativity, and "koolness" is all a combination of my outlook of St. Louis. Most people usually focus on the negativity of St. Louis which gives the assumption of a gruesome city filled with crime, drugs, and high murder rate. This is true, but what about the struggle, true feelings, and "koolness" the St.Louis people go through on a daily basis? I believe I am the spokesman for those people."

The track instrumentals are simple yet follow a unique rhythm and style that separates it from other tracks. The lyrics state that Kamm will strive for nothing but the best and that there is more to music than just creating a song and releasing it to the public and also expresses his lifestyle in St. Louis and that he enjoys celebrating his success in music with a "bottle and a blunt of dro, this is that good times flow, so let the good times roll". His style is one that stands out to me in a sense that he puts a jazzy feel to some of his vocals and references artists such as Louis Armstrong. His amount of creativity and analogizes is what keeps you coming back to the song time and time again to hear each and everyone, just to think to yourself, "right, right" etc. He is truly a unique artist and one I will personally be following in the future.

To hear the song for yourself view it here:

Scales of a Broken Libra Review (One of my favorites)




Def Davyne is in my opinion the savior of hip-hop as a genre. His album, Scales of a Broken Libra is a perfect package of everything that defines hip-hop. With authentic and crisp hip-hop instrumentals he flows over with truthful, honest, and down to earth lyrics that can touch the hearts of every person around the world no matter your location. He relates to people in general on every level. His songs are an excellent blend of instrumentals, flow, punch lines, and Def Davyne keeps it interesting with his ever-changing style and flow in his lyrics. No one song sounds the same PERIOD. He relates to real-life events with each and every track, including those on a personal, national, sociological, and industrial (Meaning the music industry), religious, and romantic level.



Track Breakdown:

Intro:

The introduction shares a deep and dark-tone that appeals to each and every person with the words, “The eternal struggle, between good and evil, is nothing new…
Every mans conscience, reminds him of the difference, between right and wrong
The decision of life, or death, is an easy one… but not everything, is black, and white…
And to the brown man, who wears a blindfold, what is day or night, dark, or light…” to express that everyone has struggles in life no matter who you are. The only thing that will separate you from others in this life is to have the ability to identify such issues and address them accordingly and adapt to situations that arise during your lifetime.

Davyne’s flow is smooth, consistent, and quick. He continues to kill the instrumentals punch line after punch line and has even an extreme Hip-Hop critic such as myself going back to recollect the lyrics that I’ve just heard and consistently bring up the thought in my head, “Damn” This track has left me nearly speechless, but what separates this album from all others I’ve heard is that not only does this track leave me speechless, but it continues to do so track after track. His instrumental interpretation has everything that defines hip-hop, but is crisp, clean cut and smooth, not rugged as with older hip-hop.

His lyrical interpretation covers multiple topics quickly and effectively. The second verse consists of his thoughts on the industry and he constantly battles with himself mentally in an attempt to make a decision to either stay underground or make an attempt to jump into the mainstream and become widely known and have his music spread and heard on a mass media market.

Game of Thrones:

With Game of Thrones, Davyne takes a cocky approach to express and represent his city, himself as a whole, and to express that the industry majors are not alone and that they better “Watch their throne” in reference to Kanye West and Jay Z who express that they are the kings of Hip-Hop.

In the hook Def expresses that he often hides the truth and his own thoughts in order to surprise those who doubt him not only as an individual, but also as an artist.

The song references his hood and area in which he lives to describe that not everyone are as they seem so you must keep to yourself in order to keep from being taken advantage of. He references the devil in relation to the evil in the world and says that you must put up your guard or “metal skin” to stop the evil of the world from getting inside your soul and consuming who you are as an individual. It also expresses that money often consumes people who they are as individuals and causes them to become something different than which they really are and sell their souls in the industry. He also emphasizes that some say money is evil, but can make dreams a reality by referencing that Magic Johnson was cured due to the fact that he had the necessary money to afford such treatment to emphasize that the world, not only the industry, is crocked and only cares about those who have money.

Flight School:

In the track Flight School he expresses that he doesn’t know if he will ever become successful in life, the industry, and achieve his dreams as an individual but through it all he will do all that he can in his power to make it happen as long as he is alive. He expresses this dream with words such as
I know that I’m not perfect
But everyday I try
Bet you gon’ see me working
Till the day that I die

He continues to elaborate on his thoughts about his life, his city, and his ambitions in life and expresses that even thought he has had a rough life thus far, that he will stop at nothing to see success.

Conspiracy:

This song torches a political and world issue by taking the approach of Iraq and U.S. citizens in relation to the war in Iraq, the crookedness of politics, and even individuals by stating that people call the truth conspiracy in relation to the government always trying to keep everything away from the general public so that no citizen will know what is actually occurring. He touches basis on individuals by expressing that those in America who make money the illegal way (drug dealers) are often harassed by the government due to the fact that they have no cut of the profits that they receive and constantly fight against it, instead of legalizing such products like marijuana to stimulate the economy. He touches on the aspect of Iraq in relation to the U.S.’s secret of the use of drones to kill helpless civilians being identified and expressed to the general public as well. In conclusion the song is about the government’s actions against all people of the world, yet they appear upset when the truth comes into the light.

Answers:

This is a powerful song that is established in the future mind of Devyne looking back on his life and his career in which he asks himself questions about the people that listen to his music.

The first verse defines who he is and asks the questions that every artist will ask himself before coming into the industry such as:

When they hear my rap, will it make me strong?
Do they even understand what I’m saying in my songs?
When its time to go, what will I leave behind
Will it help them see, will it make them blind
Will it keep em down, or elevate their mind
Will it grind em up, or will it help em grind

The second verse describes his current situation: Being a student of Full Sail University and his thoughts and occurrences on what he hears from individuals in relation to what he should do, suggestions on what to do, but again as with each song before this, he established a second point of view and asks the necessary questions that everyone should ask in search of the best possible answers.

The third verse contains his position once he enters the industry and describes how he wishes to change the game and again he asks himself questions about the industry and his role in the game in which he asks will I make it to 40, will I make it home from the party, and so forth. He describes that he is in a frail position with his current age, but again expresses that he will stop at nothing to be successful in his search for answers.

Title Track: Scales of A Broken Libra

The first verse is all about the life that Devyne once lived and steadily transitions into him moving out at age 16 to pursue his own dreams and ambitions. During this verse he describes how he was “Section 8 raised” and “Moved every 9 months like a baby out the womb” to describe the rough way of living that he was exposed to as a child.

The second verse gets deeper and describes how as time went by nothing has changed and that life in the ghetto is still a struggle and nothing has been developed in the city and that people are still doing the same thing, and acting the same way that they were several years before the present time.


Body Language:

The song is a track that expresses a gentler side of Devyne both lyrically and instrumentally. This track describes a love story between him and a significant other in which he states that he cares for her no matter what happens, and that he wants to get to know her before they have a sexual encounter.  The second verse describes that he is still around even after the two have a sexual encounter and reveals that she has a boyfriend but that he will treat her the way she deserves to be treated, and that even if people are against their relationship that they will continue to see each other despite what others think.

Better Day:

This song is a continued version that is dated later than the previous song in which Devyne describes that the girl he had an encounter with and her boyfriend are having problems and that he will help her be comfortable with herself and be able to express herself without him judging her in a negative way.

The hook sung by Stefano Moses is powerful and full of phrasing. Stefano uses his powerhouse vocals to express that when everything begins to fall apart (The stars are falling) and that he knows the feeling because he himself has been in such a situation before.

The second verse by Deveyne describes how he can tell that his lover’s current relationship is breaking her down and describes how he feels about the situation he’s in being stuck in the middle of her life and not knowing if their relationship will ever become anything more than an affair.

The final bridge sung by Stefano is a prime example of powerhouse vocals in which he stretches notes and show his true vocal range and ability to phrase and dip quickly into Contralto tessitura (Very Low) and also transition exceptionally into the Mezzo Sorprano range. (Mid-range)

My Brother:

This song is personal to Devyne and describes a situation that he encountered with his brother. In which he describes his brother getting into a lot of trouble in his youth and no matter what he still stood up for him despite the situations he placed him in. He states in the hook that despite what happens he still forgives him and that he will always be there through thick and thin. The final verse describes situations on a larger point of view in which Devyne describes that they are now grown up and are still close no matter the past and that they’ve come a long way since their childhood.


Dear Momma:

This is an excellent example of Devynes diversity and versatility in music in which the instrumentals contain an acoustic rhythm and smooth flowing instrumentals that allow his flow to continue on smoothly with very little breaks. The song’s title is self-explanatory and can be referenced to Tupac’s Dear Mama, but is unique in it’s own right in every way. The lyrics describe his situation as a child growing up and that he love’s his mother for all that she has done for him and that she helped him with his career along the way and gave him wisdom and inspiration to continue pursuing his dream. He also goes into vivid detail his family as a whole, and all of the situations that he’s gone through along the years. His flow in this particular track, like the rhythm is smooth, laid-back and honest. He shows his religious side in the bridge by referencing Jehovah (Or Jah) the African and Rastafarian term for God, and shows that although he’s not one for religion, that it’s still apart of his everyday life.

Like Father, Like Son

This song is another track that is close to Devyne’s heart and can be associated with anyone in life who has been through such hardship that is faced in the ghetto, and rough inner-city streets. The title references to his father’s actions, in which he states that he started to do the same things as he done. He also touches your soul with analogies such as “I popped a whole box of pills, I didn’t wanna die, just didn’t wanna feel” which can describe how people feel about taking drugs to overcome hardships as an alternative in hopes that the pain will go away.

He later states that his parent’s split when he was a young age and that it has become difficult to cope with the situation and that he doesn’t see the point of marriage when it always ends with divorce.

The instrumentals to the song are are beautiful in a musical sense with slow piano chords, slow riding bass and slow snares that are only recognizable at certain points throughout the song. Devyne’s flow can be described as that of Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony. It has a fast pace with slowed down points through out the verses to emphasize particular points and occurrences in his life.  This song is one that, yet again, shows a softer side of the artist and is my personal favorite so far on the album. This song, is true hip-hop, and I’m not even gonna flex, when listening to the song I thought of my past and the similar events that have occurred in my life and nearly came to tears myself.

Gangsta:

This song is for lack of politically correct terms, a gangsta’s prayer. The song expresses the daily life of a gangster who roams the streets all hours of the day and night, carrying pistols and other weapons, and that also expresses situations that occur in gangster’s lives on a daily basis. He continues to describe that he will do anything to stop his son from following the path of the street life, and that he will do everything in his power to keep his son out of the streets. The authentic hip-hop feel touches his Hispanic side by using hard hitting bass line, and the authentic West Coast style by using deep vocals along with mid-range phrasing near the end of lines in the song (Similar to what Snoop Dogg does). The last verse sates that if his son has no other choice but to end up a gang member that the Lord will protect him and that he will turn out to be as real as he can be as a member, because if he doesn’t that he knows what the ending could be and that he ultimately finds a great woman to settle down with and leave the gang lifestyle, and in the end bury him and carry on his legacy.

Understand:

Another fine example of Devyne’s use of acoustics in his instrumentals and use of his smooth-flowing vocals to describe in detail a relationship situation. This song is about his previous relationship as found in other songs in which he admits the relationship didn’t work out, even though the two of them both knew that It wouldn’t, although they still took a chance at it and attempted to make things work. If you’ve been paying attention to the vocals, the woman he mentions turns out to be his future love and the woman he shares a child with.  The hook is performed magnificently by an unidentified female vocalist and is crisp, clean, and as smooth as can be.

The instrumentals later switch up and piano replaces the acoustics and creates a simple, yet beautiful rhythm that triggers emotions in anyone what truly feel his music and can understand his lyrics.

Thank You:

This song is an excellent way to end the album and makes anyone who listens to the album truly unique no matter who you are. Even though you may be one of millions who listen to the album, you still feel a connection with Devyne and his lyrics and his passion for music. I’m not going to describe the lyrics to you, only say that you should most definitely listen to the album in it’s entirety and realize that this truly is authentic hip-hop at it’s best and that Devyne is a true, roots, authentic, and unique hip-hop artist.

Thanks to all who read this album review, if you wish to hear this album, please get in contact with me and I will allow you to listen to it. Right now I don’t have permission to release it to the general public, so until I do no link will be provided to listen to it, however, if I see enough interest in the album based on this review, I will contact the artist and get it released to the public, a little at a time to keep you coming back.

THIS HAS BEEN A REAL WILL REVIEW

Jah Bless

TO LISTEN to Scales of a Broken Libra for yourself follow the link below:

http://defdavyne.bandcamp.com