Sicksteens (Malkovich Music)
I don’t remember exactly when I last heard a mixtape of underground emcees that held my attention to the point of me actually bobbing my head, a smile cast across my otherwise serious face, in appreciation for it's lyrical mastery and the pure uniqueness of flow contained on one disk. It’s been a while. The last time I copped an actual mix that I thoroughly enjoyed was on cassette tape (remember those?) had to be back in 98-99,it was called, ‘Flossin’, there was an old Asian dude on the cover rockin a Castro hat, just grinning with some awful looking teeth. ‘Sicksteens’, released by Malcovich Music is surely a gift for the ears of any hiphop head that wants to hear straight up emceeing devoid of formula and predictability. The level of talent may just be too overwhelming for some who haven’t been exposed to the likes of truly, god-like lyricists. By now you’re probably thinking this dude is just taking it a bit too far. He must have some vested interest, he’s gottah be on this album or he’s gottah at least be selling it. No, I’m just a Hiphop fan that refuses to believe that there aren’t any great albums to listen to these days. I know what I like and I’m definitely in support of it. ‘Sicksteens’ is the gritty, intelligent and uncontrived piece of the hiphop puzzle that is only missing because it’s stuck to the inside of the one-million piece, cardboard jigsaw puzzle box. Sometimes we all need to go back to the source, shake the box even, and release that fulfilling portion allowing us see and appreciate the entire picture. (So,'who's on it?' you ask. Pudgemcee, Universal, Ali Baba Abnormal, Tha Beloved, Sumkid Majere, J.Thorn, Onmi, Black Silver, Otherwize, Sklim Milk, Sack, Felix, Voice, Fat Hed, Montage One, DJ Midas, Mazzi, Aden, OT, Revreb, Pity P & of course Malkovich. Mixed by Burnie Nowax.)
- J. Tonic