4. Ruff Enuff (Re-Mix) feat. Afu-Ra & Breez Evahflowin'

Boston. For some only a suburb of NYC, kinda like Philadelphia. But the one, like the other is putting a confident foot on the map, making everyone take notice. As for Boston, Ed O.G. is still having people search for his records, and many artists have somehow, in one way or the other, gone through the supporting hands of Papa D! and Truth Elemental. The scene is bubbling, the scene is happening, and Akrobatik is one of its members stepping into the limelight.

His 12" containing "Internet MC's", "The Flow" and "Sport Center" feat. Mr. Eon (of High & Mighty fame) came out at about the same time (on Eastern Conference / Rawkus) as this EP. With all but the Eon collaboration also being on here, this is pretty much all the Akro you need. And as Akro is liked to be needed, he gives you "The Flow", where he makes sure he's not to be downplayed, going "showed up on the scene, trailed by gale force winds gusting / busting through obstructions with percussion like a wrecking ball". This does not make "Rhodes scholars sound illiterate", but with the extra happening Fakts One production, this EP is off to a good start. And things don't slow down with "Internet MC's", where Ak goes for the easy target though, and he fails to put anything together, that wouldn't get serious slack, if posted at some BBS or chat. Still he gets the rightful dope lines with going "you ain't an MC just because you could type / on the mic in real life your ass'll get sniped / you a man with a mouse who can't rock the house / jerking off to gay porn while wearing your girl's blouse", with "I love to get online and shine and drop bombs / but my music can be found on more than dot coms", that he seconds with "but head without computers know wussup with Akrobatik" and continues on "can't run they mouth on AOL / but every time thy drop a twelve inch, they don't sell". That of course is funny and true enough.

Teaming up with DJ Supreme One, "Don't Fear" happens to be a nice bubbling track, with more braggadocios rhyming, before "Ruff Enuff (Re-Mix)" teams up Ak with fellow mic maniacs Afu Ra and Breez Evahflowin. This could be the next supergroup, as all voices sound good together. Ak provides the beat himself, some ancient piano, that Afu Ra uses to spit "touch you in the mind like virgins on all fours / drag you through the streets of wars and give you sores / of righteousness, I learned my patience in the matrix / levitated evaluated, now celebrate it". Breez on the other hand shows his battling superiority, when he goes "niggaz so pussy they spit and dicks fly out". The next track on this EP, features non boasting lyrics, when Ak talks about love tales on "U Got It", that's a conscious blessing of women, going "there's nothing sexier than when a woman knows the state of the world", and continuing to rhyme pride enhancing complements.

But of course things can't stay like that forever, and so teaming up with Esoteric, things are "Battle Royal". And the punchlines are flying left and right, over a somewhat simple beat. Also simple, but with a shuffling drum "SayYesSayWord", goes the bragging route, with Ak spitting "the sharks swim the other way, when I'm in the water" and flipping it to do "the current swims the other way, when I'm in the water" later on. This then takes us to the self produced "The Fat Shit Pt. II", that contains beat boxing, lots of voice overs, and fellow Boston resident Mr Lif. And he is shutting you up quickly, with an unlikely lyrical medical treatment. What leaves us with him also opening "Militant Raw", a marching war chant, the drum giving this the rope that is holding it back, preventing it from bumrushing you and yours.

And all of this means, that the EP is dope. And it further proves the point, that EPs might just be the right medium for hip hop. As it will be enough to get your stomach filled, but it will not overfeed you, and leave you burping.