4. Nitpicker

Chicago has always been a little too far in the west to be chilling with New York, but also too far in the east to be riding with Los Angeles. The Chi town was stuck somewhere in the middle (Monie in the middle, where you at?....sorry), stuck between having a bubbling hip hop scene and still having to always point out, that they have a bubbling hip hop scene. And in the end, although hip hop is a very global phenomenon, too many approach it with a local state of mind. Especially if they are to listen to something from outside their stomping ground. But that's a bunch of theoretical b.s., let's cut the cake and check out this album.

We are taken aback when "Listen, Listen" starts to play. This track consists of congas and the chanting of Lani Montreal. And while we are too ignorant to know in what language she sings and what she is singing about, we appreciate this as a personal and treasured way to open an album. However, we are also happy to get the confirmation of having put in the right CD, when the first drum kick and beat element is exiting our speakers. The track is "Reallocated Resources", produced by Anacron. Offwhyte's vocal styling is a mixture between Rob Sonic (at least remotely) of the magnificent Sonic Sum and Mau of Britains trip hop combo Earthling. Off' would probably claim, that he sounds like no one, and we don't compare him in a degrading way. With that out of the way, we can check out the more sinister "Juicy Pulp". A sonic production by Offwhyte himself is taking us into some space clusters, while Pugsly Atoms Alaska lends a touch to this track. Things get ugly (bad meaning good), with them two cats dropping battle rhymes, or their understanding of battle rhymes.

However, it's the Open i production on "Nitpicker" that will be the make this cut the one you will rock on your walkman, because of the simple drum and growing intensity through treble alteration. And the beat even switches somewhere in the middle (Monie in the middle, where you at?....sorry). With such a beat and such a poetic delivery, it's hard to believe that Off' keeps it on the braggadocios. But listening to "Staticling!", you will hear that he's not about putting lexicon definitions on tracks, but he's here to mentally masturbate. And while this sounds kinda dirty, it's just an analogy of doing something personal. And while it will be somewhat corny to say '...and he gets a helping hand on "Beyond Comp"...', we are not going to do that, but will put a big bold full stop here.

As the next cut on this album is "Beyond Comp" features Cosmo Galactus. This collaboration is hanging by threads, or threats, as we are again getting words, that should be silencing many cats that by accident consider them to be nice. On "Approach", Offwhyte uses the whole universe to get his point across, as well as gathers all elements to hold his back. Again self produced, the track is a stumbling march, that keeps the progress straight. And it's again Open i that kicks this album a level higher, with his angst reflecting "The End". Offwhyte is trying to be fasting, but still comes off phat. This is followed by the label anthem "Galapagos Four". Don't let nothing distract you from this Open i cut. Keep up the concentration for "Streamlined Petite Cut Slab". Kato hooked up this piano dominanted track, Off' is not fussing, but rather discussing what others is fussing about. And again he's sharing the listeners attention with Silus, Confuscious and Yoda on "Just One Vex". Quite immaculate, this articulates what else could be there, building alternative realties, in verbal test-tubes. What leaves us to fight the musical, self produced outro and the menacing "North To Broadway".

Being pretty confident that you are not of the ignorant kind, not of the 'what the farmer is not familiar with, he does not eat' (as a Swiss saying goes), you will be checking for Offwhyte. You will be ready to spend 45minutes with creative hip hop, that does not hide behind similarities, but actually exposes a unique personality in front of you, as it only happens to remind you of something else, without being something else. But don't focus on that, as if you focus too long, you will get blind spots on your iris, just like if you'd stared into a solar eclipse.