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Creating the best of both underworlds, underground
rap legend Aceyalone connects with
super, off-kilter producer RJD2
for the album Magnificent City.
Ace, who first turned heads with his debut alongside
the critically acclaimed Freestyle Fellowship, has
been keeping himself busy with the cultural commonplace
Project Blowed. He’s also continued sharpening
his lyrical spear with solo albums All Balls Don’t
Bounce, The Book of Human Language, and his first
collaborations with RJ, Love and Hate.
Having connected, the two decided it was just
a matter of time before they did a full length
collabo and Magnificent City definitely
delivers the goods. RJ’s mind bending production
and need to experiment compliments Acey’s
rhymes from top to bottom. Covering the myriad
moods of any common metropolis, City has Acey
riding inner-city blues-style basslines (“Junior”),
rawkus horns (“All For You”), rock-influenced
guitars and moving keys (“Heaven”),
cinematic soundtracks (“A Beautiful Mine”),
and all the while painting tales of the urban
landscape with rocking-the-dope rhymes that he’s
become known for.
Highlights include the aforementioned “Heaven,”
where the hook goes: “Heaven ain’t
got no stairs / Heaven ain’t got no ghetto
/ Heaven ain’t got nothing to do with you,
cause you a devil…” The other picks
arrive in“Here and Now,” the orchestral
backed autobiography made notable for its poignancy
and features RJD2 on vocals, and “Supahero,”
where Acey addresses the idea of perfection.
If you are a fan of RJD2’s, then you would
do well to cop this ambitious recording. If you
are a fan of Aceyelone—or just like your
rap without any hints of commercialism—then
this is the record for you. The independent spirit
is still alive and this recording is an embodiment
of that idea while being quite enjoyable to listen
to at the same time. D2 steps out of the box to
keep things interesting and Acey steps up to the
plate to deliver the goods, which makes for a
shining Magnificent City.
www.projectblowed.com
www.deconrecords.com
D Tha Man, February 3, 2006
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