Masta Ace first announced this album on twitter late last year, I was really excited to hear Masta Ace a vet from the late 80's/90's collabing with DOOM a guy who was most known during the 00's. Also the fact that DOOM's beats are usually so different to most producers.
The album is Dedicated to Masta Ace's mother Yvonne. Like the albums Long Hot Summer and Disposable Arts the album follows a theme with stories of Masta Ace's surroundings and upbringings. The album is all about Masta Ace growing up as a kid in Brooklyn, his musical influences which he finds digging through his mom's record collection in Nineteen Seventy Something, and life influences mainly from his Mother Yvonne and Grandmother who raised him.
Masta Ace stated that when he first heard MF DOOM's Special Herbs beat series, he intended on making a mixtape to these DOOM's beats, having been unfamiliar with DOOM's work beforehand. The project ended up sounding so good he decided to put it out as an album and getting DOOM's blessing for the project. He even gets a verse from DOOM as well as Big Daddy Kane on the track "Think I Am". But you should keep in mind while listening, that it was first intended as a mixtape from an emcee discovering DOOM's beats, because there are some people saying they're a little disappointed that it wasn't all new beats. But Masta Ace puts his own new spin on all of these DOOM beats, in cases putting out a better track to them such as Son of Yvonne.
Best Songs:
Son of Yvonne:Fave track overall, dedicated to his mother for raising him right. He did really well over this beat
Slow Down:Masta Ace always does well at telling a story in his songs and that what he does with this track, a fictional story about getting drugged by two girls after a show. The concept works really well with the beat which 'slows down'
Crush Hour:A song about Masta Ace trying to hit on some hot girl. I really like the way Masta Ace flows on this track. Usually Masta Ace does the same type of flow, but he does a slightly different flow on this and it sounds really good. It reminds me a little bit of nz rapper David Dallas flow on Indulge Me
I Did It:This is probably my favourite beat on the album, Masta Ace uses it as a celebration type track reflecting on what he's done and who he's done it all for.
In Da Spot:Another great beat from MF DOOM, again if you're a DOOM fan you've probably heard beats like this, but if you're not a huge DOOM follower, a lot of these beats will be new, and Masta Ace does a good job with these beats, many of them have been slightly reworked. I also really like the chorus of this song.
On top of that, another highlight for me was "Think I Am", just because it has Masta Ace rapping in a reunion with Big Daddy Kane and MF DOOM joining them with a verse of his own. Big Daddy Kane still has it, but MF DOOM also came really really good on this too. However I don't like the beat they used on this compared to the other DOOM beats. Nineteen Seventy Something was also another hightlight, a song about Masta Ace digging through his mothers record collection but I mostly like it for the beat.
My Rating:
Lyrics: 75/100. Masta Ace always has his trademark flow, even though I'm not always a fan of it but it was nice to hear it over DOOM beats. He always has great concepts and stories for songs too
Production: 80/100 Even though they're old DOOM beats, masta ace uses most of them well, I already said which ones I like best, but there were a few I didn't like as much. I didn't like how they changed the beat for DOOM's Deep Fried Friendz, they cut out the Whodini sample and it sounded a little faster than the original, imo it doesn't touch the original. Da Pro was also a bit boring for me but those are the only few bits I didn't like.
Overall: 75/100
The album is out now on iTunes and other online stores, however the physical version doesn't come out until July 17th
Son of Yvonne:
Slow Down:
Crush Hour:
I Did It: (only the live version is uploaded to youtube)
In Da Spot:
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