Colorado-based Big Chris comes at us with Unforgiven – a straightforward hardcore hip-hop album with its share of fronting and more than its share of backing vocal divas. No doubt, Big Chris is a tough MF, but a lot of his lyrics are a rhyming revision of so much that’s been said in hustler-thug rap in the last ten years. Whether or not that’s your style, you’ll probably appreciate his flow; he’s solid and articulate, with hardly a noticeable breath. This is also a well-produced record that shows the potential for both Big Chris and the Pharmacy Musick label. Some of the beats could be a little thicker and some of the beef could be a little thinner; I mean callin’ out “faggots” is pretty played…
The gems may be few, but the gems are diamonds. Some of the best tracks on Unforgiven are those with featured MC’s, like ‘Track Dealer’ (feat. Jak Trippa); or, ‘Cruisin’ (feat. Kaz) throwing an unexpected rude boy/reggae vibe in the mix. Clear exceptions are ‘Here We Go’, ‘My Everyday’ and ‘Roll Call’ – all of which fresh up and show Big Chris’s content potential without losing any of his lyrical finesse or breath control.
Hardly any record is free of a stinker or two; and in that respect, Unforgiven is a fairly impressive hometown platter.
www.pharmacymusick.com
