producers: jb, cyclone, mr. rictor

Some years ago, you were happy to get a good record. Now you are really happy to get a good record. You know what I mean? It's almost like a pleased sigh is expected, when you are putting in an album, and you are not throwing up instantly, right? Just because there's simply too much wack, weak, mediocre, heck, even solid records out there. Do you know what I mean? Solid. Yeah, as in not quite wack, kinda cool, but it's not like you are tempted to name your kid after the artist. Solid is a label that in one way you don't want to achieve, but at the same time, something you do, because it's still better than being worse than solid. However, it's still like you are hungry, but you only have salad but no dressing or bread but no peanut butter. It's kinda like saying 'it's good enough', what never means that it's actually good.

The album "Altered State" by Stu Dent, who some of you might know as Sev Statik, is one of those solid albums. This means that there's nothing wrong with it, and I'd advice all of you guys to check it out. Because 'solid' also means that a record has the potential to be very dope to some, while others will be rather indifferent about it. Hence, saying it's solid doesn't mean that we are dissing it, it's just that we are glad that it's not wack, but at the same time recognize that it's not incredible.

But we should be checking out the tracks, and the album starts out right with "Missing Time", a cut that's being used to express many issues that will explain things and making you be prepared for the rest of the album. Meaning that on here we hear Stu spit some correcting words, but also self-reflecting moments, that are showing why he's considered a Christian emcee. This is getting our props because the production by JB aka Dirty Moses (who handles all but two beats on the album: Cyclone produced "Phyzical Mental" and Mr Rictor "Born Invisible") is coming up with something almost cute due to the flute, that keeps something almost melodious going, just merging very well with the words. Once more on "Fast Lane", JB is trying to do something more difficult and different and he does something interesting, what then makes it easier for us to stay with the track and give Stu the deserving attention. This track features Capture One, and gives us more reflective lyrics. And JB hooks himself up with something cool too, when he's featured as a guest on "Symphonic Precision", that gives him and Stu the chance to combine the electronic blinging with some esoteric rhymes. Further the strings on "Time's Process" and "Banger" (feat. Ajax) are dope too, with the first making Stu become more than what he is on the weaker cuts, as he's giving us conclusions of his thinking process on the first, and the second is talking about their ideology and what makes the artists tick.

But then there's the number of tracks that are cool, but don't get us too excited, like "We Don't Want That", a cut that features JB and Soulheir, who are made to spit over a rather angry beat, with them talking about all the things they don't want any longer. Beat wise there is a too obvious keyboard sound going on on "Say Again", while Stu is keeping us listening with words that everyone with a thinking conscious should be able to relate to. Stu has a lot to say, that is at least as much directed at himself as it is at us that are listening. Something more for us than himself can be found on "The Messanger", where he is painting his profile in front of us. Definitely for us is also "Simply Put" featuring Drastic and Capture One, as this is coming with them cocky verses.

And to get the solid average, you also need the cuts that you are not keen about, like "Dead Decay Shun" feat. Dezignator, that features a weak beat, and the words that are at times reminiscent, challenging or love expressing, show very little emotion to sound believable. More tracks like that are "The Coliseum" feat. Macho, "Assisted Suicide" feat. Soulheir or "Alone" feat. Sage, that are mainly suffering from weak beats. There's just little there to attract us to okay tracks like "A Warrior's Existance" feat. Kaboose or "Skitzofriendamine" feat. The Ordinary Oddball.

This album is stronger lyrically than beat wise. Stu is also having a solid delivery and flow, what can't be said about some of his guest though. What inevitably leads us to conclusions, that have been already and previously mentioned in this review.