Debut tape for Lo Key, a rapper from Memphis of whom little is known, in this case only that he's a cousin of Tommy Wright III.
"2 Low Key" is the first piece of the tape: snare drum, boom bap, skeletal drum machine, light and vibrant, single line looped in the background, then syncopated, sustained and smooth delivery of Lo Key. The title track presents a splendid rhythm: boom bap jazzy, great piano dope sample, skeletal drum, single line looped in the background, then smooth delivery, hardcore, dope. "Hoe Call" boasts Steve Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" sample, later used by Coolio for "Gangsta's Paradise": boom bap, light and crisp skinny drum machine, simple hook with bridge, rapper's unstoppable smooth syncopated delivery. "On That Devil Shit" closes a first part of a very strong tape, among the best of the cassettes released by Memphis in this period: boom bap, light snare drum, soulful female samples, jazzy dope samples, unstoppable syncopated delivery of Lo Key, the boy is overwhelming on one of the best rhythms on the tape.
The fifth cut maintains a minimal soul with a boom bap rhythm, skeletal slow drum and dark samples: the Memphis MC delivers bars with a slow, flowing style and wisely manages to feed the creepy feel of the track with hard lyrics and an appropriate rapping style. Lil Hardness is the only guest of the edition, in "Roads to Riches": simple rhythm, snare drum, effortless delivery of this duo, with a flowing but almost spoken style. Lo Key accelerates rapping in "Gimme Some", on fast-paced and skeletal drum, and simple rhythm. There's an uncredited girl, I think, she boasts a good smooth flow. In the final choice, a looped dark piano arrives in the background, where a spoken outro over slow drum is provided.
Entirely produced by MDB, the cassette is distributed by Tommy Wright III's Street Smart Records: composed of eight cuts for about half an hour of listening, the tape presents some of the best moments of horrorcore and gangsta / thug rap in Memphis, managing to faithfully represent the city scene thanks to some excellent rhythms and performances. Recommended for Memphis fans.
Highlights: "Test My Nutz", "Hoe Call", "On That Devil Shit", "Wassup Now", "Gimme Some".
Rating: 8/10.
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