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Okay, so Aceyalone might not be
the most dynamic cat to watch on stage. Don’t
get it wrong, he’s repp’d the set since
Freestyle Fellowship, and continues
to bare the torch through his involvement with Project
Blowed. But, for real, he’s not a headliner.
However, when it comes to records, his energy
and creativity are rarely matched. This is once
again the case with his latest concept album Lightning
Strkes, which has the veteran MC
teaming with producer Bionik to explore a more
roots sound, via dancehall, reggae and dub inspired
tracks.
The record gets started with the title track,
a bouncy number replete with female vocals and
an interpolation of Dana Dane’s seminal
hit “Nightmares.” Continuing the dancehall
vibe, which Acey seems well suited to, are the
island blends “Suicide” and “Sound
Gun.”
For the more pleasurable “Easy,”
Aceyalone is joined by Jurassic 5’s Chali
2Na, who infuses the ditty with his consistent
skills and baritone delivery. Although this album
is not going to take the place of Sly & Robbie,
or even give dance hall darling Sean Paul cause
for pause, songs like “To The Top”
are still a knee slapping good time. And, as witnessed
on the more traditional “Pick A Part”
and Rasta vibes of “When I Woke,”
Aceyalone does justice to the genre, covering
social ills and hot girlies with equal aplomb.
For the pure at heart, this exploration of the
reggae vibe might not be to your liking, and Aceyalone
fans might long for the straight up hip hop of
past recordings that they’ve come to expect
from one of the West Coasts most prolific rappers.
However, if you have an open mind and a willing
ear, this “distinctly offbeat blend of hip-hop
and dancehall” just might be the cure to
your summertime blues.
www.deconmedia.com
www.projectblowed.com
-D Tha Man, August 27, 2007
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