producers: paradigm, johnny cock, jl.

Elevator music. Dum-di-dum. Music that splashes onto you and is so unremarkable, it can't even get you wet. It's there, but you don't even realize it, as even the plain chewing gum you are turning in your mouth seems to have more flavor. Of course you are not playing elevator music at home, but while you are working, surfing the net, or wanking off to the newest copy of Black Gold, the music you are playing is not really going to be your main focus too. It will fill the empty sound spaces, but it will not be doing much more than entering your ear, sticking around for a little while, and then exiting out the other ear. And sometimes you get a new album, and as you are not really paying attention, it just seems to sound a little flat, unspectacular, but that, in actuality is only an unfocused impression, that you are getting.

Happened with this album. The first few times, other things were going on too, and so the album succeeded as a 'background music' purpose, but the pen wasn't put down. So the first impression had to be wrong. Right? Yes, it had to. But fortunately a reviewer is not only listening to an album once. Nope. That's also the reason why it takes him so damn long to write a review. He gotta commit himself to the record for 10, 20 times. Gotta. And suddenly, the reviewer realizes how wrong his first impression was. Damn. But 'whew': luckily he didn't write the review yet. Yet, as he is writing it now.

Paradigm shows his humor right from the start, as he does a little prank call thing on "Bugged Intro". He keeps the giggles up with "Mainstream Garbage", and they are mutating into belly laughs, as Paradigm is dumbing himself down, to be able to come as weak as those swimming in the mainstream. If the beat could have be just doper, this would be a sure shot classic. Remix! Although 'Digm is switching into battle mode on "Phone Balls", he still keeps the punchlines entertaining, realizing that the opponent can't rhyme, when he has to laugh about the disses you throw his way. On "The Battle Joint", the beat finally can live up to the quality of the rhymes, as a atmospheric layer is making this a tight track. But on "Symphonic", what started nice with a flute, is abandoned too fast, for a bare drum and bass.

Repping Westchester, Paradigm is going into overdrive on "Leverage". Much rather than saying how nice he is on the mic, he actually proves it with complex rhymes, a fast and tongue twisting flow, as well as interesting content, reaching from the Appalachians to the Albanians to Saudi Arabians. Still rapping fast on "42 Dimensional" (produced by Johnny Cock), the beat gets another nod, as it just comes much completer, than the simple beat styling heard on some of the other tracks. Same can be said about "To The Dark Side", as this self produced beat (all the tracks are produced by Paradigm, unless otherwise mentioned) is adding some whining sounds to the marching drum. Almost jumping from cloud to cloud like in a dream, 'Digm touches upon 'bone marrows of pharaohs', moving through shapes and places, taking everything in and mentioning it on this track.

"Gates Of Eternity" is keeping up the alienated rhyme topics, with the beat sounding like some alternated 'getting online' modem sounds. The next cut, "Life And Death" can not keep up the thumbs given to the beat, while Paradigm is reflecting. Almost too bubble gum to be seriously giving our props too is "Vibrations" dropping outta the speakers. This yells love song in the pinkest of colors, but upon listening to the lyrics, and realizing how complementary the pillow-ish vibe of the beat is to these words, the whole song suddenly is getting our approval. JL then produced "Late Night", and he is steering a space ship through brick alliances. Possibly again too calm for the head nodding and the angry frowning cats is "Changing Of The Seasons". But for all those that like their hip hop to be more than just for head nodding and angry frowning will enjoy this.

They will also enjoy "Formulate The Cipher". And if the beat would be out as an instrumental, many DJs would dig this one out to play it for emcees to get busy over it. However, he shouldn't be playing the vocal version first, as many mic vandals will be second thinking if they should actually spit, following this multi-syllable extravaganza. Speaking of cats spitting: Mr. X and Mr. Sin Que are teaming up with 'Digm to do "Questions". Maybe it's a little unfair, but suddenly, we are reminded of "Mainstream Garbage", and while this is too cruel to really say such a thing, it still rings true to some extend. Not "Deliverance" though. A sparkling piano as well as some classic drum break are giving the Xtracts Of Slang and 'Digm the chance to speak their mind. JL then returns to contribute to the second 'feat. Xtracts Of Slang' track "The Slang Is On". This one fits neatly after the previously heard song, and comes equally nice. And to complete a trilogy, the Xtracts stick around for "Thoughts", and just as the song has you suspect, this is up to something deep. And the beat is very complimentary to that. Throughout the album, we heard live snippets of Paradigm introducing the next track. He now ends the album with a short "Buffalo Freestyle", probably from the same show, and with him being faded out, we know that this cat still got another whole bunch of rhymes in store.

While at times this album can give you a strong feeling of it sounding like other artists and other tracks you heard before, if you subtract the weaker beats, you will still have a dope album, that needs your full attention, as you too likely will miss the lyric's steam and the rhyme's flavor. And if you still wanna call this 'elevator music', then only because it is taking you to a higher level. Still, you can't argue that at times elevators get stuck between two floors, and that's always annoying. But just like Otis: those are exceptions.