Ransom & Nicholas Craven — Directors Cut: Scene Three

Third chapter of the "Directors Cut" series, made by rapper Ransom and produced entirely by Nicholas Craven. The guests are The Musalini, Rasheed Chappell, RJ Payne, 38 Spesh and Rome Streetz.

The tape opens with "Candyman Farewell to the Flesh", an intro skit on a melodic female soul sample, Ransom's hardcore rough raw delivery destroying the piece with energy. The Musalini is the guest of "Blacula": gripping rhythm, sparse drum, dusty cymbals, melodic sample, good loop, Musalini drops bars with a calmer style, while Ransom continues hardcore. "J.D.'s Revenge" boasts a good male soul chipmunk sample to build the beat, good energetic, rough, raw delivery from Ransom, Rasheed Chappell completes the piece. RJ Payne brings some gritty rap to the tape on "From Dusk Till Dawn", on a production with excellent samples and without drums where Ransom plays better with his energetic style. "I Am Legend" features an excellent drumless rhythm over which the house emcee's rapping is deeply smoothness and velvety, making one of the best songs on the tape. “Misery” is an easy winner that finds Ransom and guest 38 Spesh over a Nicholas Craven beat: good loop, inaudible drum in the background, Ransom's calm smooth delivery, Spesh comes in with a similar style and has a good flow.

The Jersey City rapper returns solo in "Hereditary" on a beautiful soundscape created by Craven, one of the best producers of recent years: amazing strings in the background, wonderful rhythm, unstoppable velvety delivery by Ransom which makes one of the shortest songs on the tape, dope cut. "Gone Girl" features a velvet, discreet rhythm, good flowing rap from the author. Rome Streetz is the last guest on the album in "American Hustle", probably the best choice of the edition: drumless beat, melodic and enveloping male soul loop, Rome Streetz and Ransom kill the track with a great flow. Ransom closes in style with the solo excerpt "The Shining", gorgeous soulful loop, energetic, smoothness, dope delivery by the emcee, there's no better way to end a masterpiece album.

The album comes out in the summer 2020, remaining a hidden gem for nearly a year for most of the hip-hop listeners, before being rediscovered. With its entire series, full of cinematic references to appreciate, the Jersey City rapper emerges as one of the best performers on the panorama and "Scene Three" is the latest confirmation, the guy delivers precise bars with a cold, polished, calm often dope style over a practically flawless music by Nicholas Craven, drumless, jazzy, soulful and melodic, East Coast. The duration contained in half an hour allows it to have a considerable replay value, and it's certainly one of the best projects of the year, 8.3/10.