label: syntax

compilation includes: la symphony, locke, braille, future shock, adeem & shalem, overflo, solseekers, luke geraty, others.
year of release: 2003
 
It seems like no one likes compilations anymore. But why? You don't make 'compilations' for yourself, putting your favorite tracks on a tape or CD-R for the walkman or car? Yes you do. And so does Max One, with the big difference being, that he gets unreleased, exclusives and too good to not be on here too tracks. And he does not do the CD just for himself. Nope, also for his friends and you. Yes, you are invited to check out the second installment of the "Night Owls" series, now being about 'sleep therapy'. But there's no time and room to doze of, cause the tracks on here will keep your attention like an orange arrow on a black wall.

 
tracklisting
1. Wordz : Black Keys And Ivory
2. Chuck Dimes : Apples & Oranges
3. sintaxtheterrific (deepspace5) : Dramamine
4. Science Project : Backbone
5. LA Symphony : King Kong
6. Locke feat. Braille : Only A Moment Away
7. Future Shock : Shocking Truth
8. Kaboose feat. Jendor : Leaves In The Wind
9. Adeem & Shalem : Believe
10. Nomadic The Journeyman : Broke Wind (Remix)
11. Elias : Breath Of My Life
12. Overflo : Jail Cell
13. SolSeekers feat. Ahred : Weapon Of Choice
14. Othello (Lojique) feat. MG! : Opposite Sides
15. Luke Geraty : Drowning In My Dreams
16. Sharlok Poems feat. Soup The Chemist : Graffiti Art
17. Jazzy Chazz : Impossible
18. JustMe : Love Love
19. Def Shepherd (RedCloud, Man Of War, MaxOne) introducing Samuel Heart : Best Of The Best
And we shall start with the nitty gritty, meaning the bomb diggy, meaning the good on here. The excellent comes from sintaxtheterrific of the mighty Deepspace5 and his "Dramamine". Backed up by a dope Dust (of Mars ILL) beat, sintax does not need to do much more other than show up, to hand in a tight track. He does more though, as the mixture of philosophical and theological versing gives us jewels like "the truth only hurts when it's death", with them coming every other line. Just as mighty are the LA Symphony who do "King Kong". Flynn does the beat, J-Boogie the scratching, and everyone else is playing big ape, tearing down residences. The beat is a little rough around the edges, but not as gritty as "Graffiti Art" by Sharlok Poems and Soup The Chemist (with both songs being produced by Flynn). Opposite to that is "Only A Moment Away" by Locke and Braille (and produced by Pale Soul). This is a smooth and jazzy offering, and the emcees take us into their thoughts, and take us along on the ride. Familiar in flavor is Othello's "Opposite Sides", that features MG! and a non stoppin' the groove beat, and quick spoken and self confident lyrics.
Wordz speaks over a string section on "Black Keys And Ivory", while Science Project's "Backbone" aims straight for the neck. With the head bobbing beat, come flowing words, that get the little brag in here and there. "Believe" by Adeem & Shalem will also get your neck going, with the beat by Shalem being even better than the already good Deadbeat offering on "Backbone". Adeem is sounding so comfortable on this beat, he takes permanent residence on this a couple of minutes spread. Rushing us forward is "Weapon Of Choice" by SolSeekers feat. Ahred of Future Shock), while luke geraty's "Drowning In My Dreams" is holding us back with a melancholic beat. And it's unfortunate that he chose this song from the otherwise excellent "The Before I Sold Out" EP. The lyrics are on equal level with his always poetic visions, but there are better beats on that EP.
What gets us to the few plates, where there's a couple of vegetables we need to pick off. Like there's "Apples & Oranges" by Chuck Dimes, that suffers from a rather standard beat. And we would have never guessed it, that beat was actually done by Vitamin D, a usually super producer, who made this the first song he flopped on. Future Shock's "Shocking Truth" suffers from the strong live sound, and the chorus can get annoying quickly. While the lyrics transport a lot of ill images, the beat by Overflo is holding back his "Jail Cell". The same goes for "Best Of The Best", where Def Shepherd (a team up of the quirky voiced emcees RedCloud, Man Of War and MaxOne) introduce Samuel Heart over a mediocre rocdomz beat. The other way around it's on "Breath Of My Life" by Elias, where the beat by Octal40 is dope, but the flow and sing songy style, as well as heavy breathing by Elias, can not keep pace with his good content, and as said, the beat. And while promising, "Love Love" by JustMe is not yet fully rounded, with both the beat and lyrics however showing where this cat cold take us to. With him not yet having reached that place though.
Good again is "Broke Wind (Remix)" by Nomadic The Journeymen. And if blues can be happy, then the beat on here is happy blues. Martin did that beat and it goes blatantly and well for the good times, with the chorus being a little smelly though. But just as every song on here, there's more than just happy go smile and jeer and feel good, or look I can flow, look I can rap. Nope all tracks always drop the little line here and there, or just lines here and there, that stem from the a little more philosophical, a little more conscious and a little more faith having. And that's pretty much what you expect from a Syntax release. And that not every song will knock you off your feet might also be what to expect of a compilation. But with all the contact information printed, this is a dope chance to be introduced to a new batch of artists, in a nicely laced package. So, let me ask this: what's wrong with a compilation?
review: tadah
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