by: Ellis Photography
People love labels. We love stereotypes, groups, and affiliations. Its human nature for us to try and put everything in our lives in its own little box so that we can make sense of it. This is especially true when it comes to the music we listen to. Despite what lies people tell you, most folks only really love one singular type of music. Of course, if you ask anyone what type of music they listen to, they'll inevitably hit you with the "I-listen-to-all-types-of-music-as-long-as-it-sounds-good" foolishness. This, of course, is.......foolishness. Theres a huge difference between enjoying various genres of music as opposed to enjoying singular songs from various genres. This ESPECIALLY true when it comes to hip-hop
Rap music is bascially divided into to major Genres, with sub-genres within those. Essentially, hip-hop is either Gangsta rap or Consious rap. Some would argue the validity of that statement, but if you consider the relative newness of swag rap (Soldier Boy) and Emo rap (Drake/Kanye) with the steady decline of lyrical rap (Canibus/Elzhi), the theory rings true. As previously stated, most people only listen to one particular type of music, the same type of hip-hop. But what happens when you have an emcee who encompasses all of these genres and non of them at the same time? Enter Laz aka The Black Native and his 2nd mixtape, The Goatee....
Native, the emcee reppin Alabama by way of Virginia by way of Maryland by way of Germany, is an algamation of all things......everything.....and it all shows up in the music. In the course of this 12-track project, Black Native references, Osama Bin Laden, Goku, Osiris, Jesus, The Mom from Bobbys World, Archie Eversole, and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, just to name a few. Here's a track-by-track analysis of the mixtape..
1. Behold- After a hilarious intro from George Lopez, Native opens the mixtape on a religious note, reciting the 133rd Psalm.
2. The Goatee- The proper intro for the mixtape, and really an embodiment of the entire project (Editors Note: this is my favorite track on the mixtape). Over Drakes "Thank Me Now", Native waxes philosophical on everthing from non-responsive band members to financial obligations. as he raps "my baby sister bought a house.......I'm payin' rent", you can't help but appreciate his candor on the mic. As "bluesy" as this song begins, it reaches a victorious climax as it ends, he takes us on vacation with him. By far the standout track on the mixtape.....
3. Plan of Attack- The most experimental song on the mixtape, Canadian producer Tron lends his talents on the original track. The off-kilter production sounds like some the Neptunes would produce for themselves, with the track switching tempo mid-song, totally ingnoring traditional hip-hop song structure. Native handles the track quite nicely, ajusting his flow and dropping some hilarious Canada references (if youre paying attention).
4. Get it- If you listen to this mixtape long enough, you'll start to catch on to some underlying themes. One of those themes is recognition. Black Natives has no reservations about his desire to be a force in the industry. This song (and the one following it) go along way express his intentions for rap suprmecy.
5. Apex- The book-end song to "Get It", we see Native step out of his usual laid-back personality. The aggressive track (and even more aggressive chorus) comes off as motivation music for anyone trying to get to that next level in life.
6. Go Go The Sto'- The most hilarious track on the mixtape (peep the Dragon Ball Z intro), the song is an interpolation of Fiascos "Go-Go Gadget Flow", dedicated to everybodys favorite super-store. Here, Native displays the midwest "sniper" flow that he first displayed on his 1st mixtape.
7. Something To Cruise To- The only southern sounding song on the mixtape, Black Native lets us ride passenger side as he takes a day to himself to ride and let the speakers bump. This is also the first track where Native puts the intricate lyricism on the back burner and lets the slow flow take precedent.
8. In The Streets- Based on a true story, the subject matter is about troubled youth in the south, faced with the issues of growing up too fast and too hard. Native raps from the perspective on himself and a troubled youth as a haunting "In The Streets" sample ruminates in the background of the track.
9. Don't Do it- A song about depression, in which he consoles and counsels a female friend on the verge of hurting herself. On the 2nd verse, he puts himself under the microscope before advising anyone with similar feelings to "play some videogames, do something constructive". Another surprisingly transparent and soul-bearing song.
10. Big Sister, Lil Sister- Natives flips Ye's "Big Brother" to dedicate a song to his two biological and one adoptive sister. His ode to older sister who always let him hang out with her friends is especially touching.
11. Defending My Religion- Controversy, contreversy, contreversy!!! "If I'm the white mans bitch, then you mis-informations hoe" shoots Black Native at internet detractor. The most controversial (and heady) song on the mixtape. It deals with the problem of religion and hip-hop
12. The Go-owtro- The straight lyrical display thats becoming a lost art in hip-hop, Black Native ends the mixtape with a spastic barrage of lyrics, announcing that this mixtape is the begining of the endin of him being the slept on
All in all, this mixtape is excellent. If you like lyrics, you wont be disappointed. If you like an emcee who can switch flows, you wont be disappointed. If you like dense content, Black Natives gotcha. Its all here, and it all flows well. Besides the very conspicous absence of a "girl song", the only complaint I have about this mixtape is that it should have been mixed properly by a professional engineer for maximum enjoyment. But if you love good hip-hop, The Goat is definitely worth a download.
Rating: 4.75/5
direct link:
http://blacknative.bandcamp.com/album/the-goatee?permalink
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