Miscellaneous: ALBUM REVIEW # 3

Title- CENTER OF ATTENTION

Producers- teddy roxpin, cold logistics, dj keor, streetwise, destro, agonist

Guest vocals- Trinidad

As a staunch myspace user, I usually interact with gazillions of artists who claim to be the next big thing to hit planet earth. The unfortunate thing is some actually possess the skill to verify such claims while others are simply the opposite. This review is not about the artist in question but the listener which is YOU. We the fans have long been relegated to the background, rappers no longer make music for the fans like back in the day and in most cases the said rapper might even start off his album dissing US(e.g “yeah,this is for all you d$%k heads listening to my new joint...”)

I admit the fact that am a newbie to Praverb’s music-and for the record don’t confuse him for south Africa’s PROVERB (another dope MC)- and am the kind of person who at 1^st listen can judge whether something is worth listening to in the long run and this here is actually worth it and its FREE!!!!

Starting off with the PERFECT INTRO, proverb summarises “the reason-behind” what he does, he doesn’t go off point rambling about the state of hip-hop (like we don’t know..duh!!) but rather his own state of mind ,his views and he also talks a lil’ about the American complacency. Check some of the lyrics

"I’m tired of seeing these youngings die

Tired of seeing mother’s cry

All we can do is be like Kanye and Touch the Sky

Yeah, I just want to let these words connect

So I can be real and get it off my chest

I live in the States, I be dealing with stress

But my fan overseas be dealing with death

Rockets fly, troops probably occupy his space

He doesn’t have time to stop and cry"

A very nice way to jump start the lp,riding on a smooth violin type instrument courtesy of cold logistics-works pretty well.

Next up is BACK IN THE DAYS-and all I gotta say is those strings man!!! And the subject matter, though ain’t new-but it’s nice to hear a different point of view from this rapper. DEAD 2 SIN-if am permitted to call it a quintessential gospel joint(Gospel Mc’s should take a cue from this),it doesn’t come out forced, tired or boring-first off the beat is PHAT and again Praverb shows you “the reason-behind” his music.

FREEDOM TO PREVAIL is a favourite, nicely constructed by TEDDY ROXPIN(I used to love that cartoon back when I was a young un,lol) praverb starts off with this quotable

“Life be the topic, if I live it then I jot it,

Baptized in aquatics like the lochness

neck stretched like an ostrich

viewing the land, pursuing his will, influencing fans remaining conscious

When I drop in, its dopeness, syringe filled with hope kid

My words be the medicine provide a proper dosage”

Dude even said “who cares if p spits to himself”-some of us do, this is the kind of music we need nowadays bruh!!.

RAIN and GRIND are back to back cuts that deal with life, strife and what have you. Worth listening to if I must add. TATIANNA is a nice story about a girl who aspires to be a model but falls prey to a scheming porn producer (listen to the joint to find out about the ending).YOU KNOW ME is another tight joint and proverb keeps it “real” by saying

“..attack the beat with my ability, nobody feeling me

Because I haven’t been shot, no street credibility.”

That’s some shit your average MC wouldn’t say (besides kanye and Lupe).ORDINARY DAY is a jazzy type beat,reminds me of Nas’s “world is yours” and P kicks verses about a typical day at the mall trying to market his cd’s to strangers!! This is a first, I aint never heard another MC talk about a day at the mall!! The last cut TRADING PLACES produced by Dj kear(who also did the aforementioned ORDINARY DAY) laces a sinister background for P to kick rhymes about issues at his former workplace .

“With steady discipline, when I grip the pen

Am like Mr rivera, the relief is here

Bringing Ill rhymes- to a speaker near you

Sometimes I wanna bleach my skin

-Do we speak the same language- sometimes I wanna trade places

I wanna spend a day in your shoes; you could spend a day in my timberland boots

Hopping on the train in a business suit

I get paid every week, I get all the loot

I arrive at work, sip a cup of joe

Hop around the office, say wassap to the folks

I look at my computer screen, am living it up

This is a dream, am not giving it up”

..anyway dude gets fired, dude flips out and gets thrown out of the building by security, Freedom of speech at its best and Praverb doesn’t shy away from his religious background at instances .He keeps dropping subliminal messages every bar or two and he manages not to bore you with a gospel over kill which works well because at the end of the day, this is an hip-hop album. Not underground, not mainstream or left field, just a day in the life of an MC called Praverb. I recommend this for people who think outside the box, P keeps it simple so don’t expect super tongue twisting rhyme schemes that would leave your cerebral cortex sore, think GZA and you would get the picture. The reason behind this music is the message, who is he targeting? What is he aiming for? And the funny thing is the CENTRE OF ATTENTION isn’t even the mc in question...it is YOU-the listener.

Recommended listen- BACK IN THE DAYS, FREEDOM TO PREVAIL, DEAD 2 SIN, I GRIND YOU GRIND, ORDINARY DAY

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