Heres an in depth review of my latest album THC. Here you my bro Kulahblind TheCreature lol T.H.C. (The Hero Complex) is the latest release from California based emcee Young Kasper. For those who are unfamiliar Young Kasper is hip hop artist of Phillipino decent residing in the San Fernando Valley. A member of the Music and Strength crew as well as one of the flagship artists on the EMG label he has slowly been building a devoted fanbase both locally and abroad. His first album Writers Block garnered recognition for songs such Hush as well as its self titled single. Now with an LP as well as an collaborative EP with Reset Beats entitled The Other Side under his belt, he takes this experience with him as he embarks on translating it all on his softmore LP. The album kicks off with the Intro (What is the Hero Complex) produced by Reset beats. Now while most would be expecting Kasper himself to kick things off, listeners are treated to a featured verse by Hazerd, breaking down the underlying explanation behind the title of the album. Despite the fact that it probably would have been more effective to hear Kasper himself familiarize us with the meaning of his work, Hazerd does a nice job of setting the tone for the album with his mellow storyteller like flow which fits well over Resets production. Whether unintentionally or by design, the listener is still left with an ambigious explantion regarding the albums title as Hazerd gives no one concrete definition for T.H.C. ending his verse with the lines: ...The Hero Complex, the T.H.C./ it could be whatever you think, want, or you need. We are then officially introduced to Kaspers world with the track Lyrical Zombie. Fans of Kaspers work may recognize this as his entry to the FunK Volume Dont Funk Up Your Beats Contest. The first portion of this track, produced by Kato, has very dark feel to it, amplified by the haunting strings complimented by Kaspers flow, as he depicts the personal stress and frustrating thoughts that torment his psyche in lyrical form. Lines like Im a victim of depression, inside of my own demention, thats a guilty conscience, suicidal thoughts Ive asked too many questions allow the listener to picture the conflict going on as we visit the dark side of Kaspers mind, the beat suddenly shifts to a harder hitting beat with Kasper changing his tone to a more agressive and bragadocious flow to match its intensity. The track as a whole is a great display of Kaspers ability to get deep while flexing his lyrical ablility for the listener. Next up on the tracklist is Stopping For Nothing feat. The Moniker Blac and Lady Larynx. Produced by Lex, this dark and errie track is complimented by three emcees with very different and diverse styles. Kasper drops his verse with a very pronounced and drawn attack on the beat, while Blac switches up between his signature smooth delivery and his agressive double time assault with ease. Lady Larynx really shines on this track, not only dropping a very powerful and sultry hook, but then hitting the listener on the third verse with a viscious delievery in contrast, highlighting her skills as a lyricist of both the R&B and Hip Hop genres. This track definitely ends up being one of the heavy hitters on the album with all that artists letting it known they aint Stopping For Nothing. After the Catfish skit, where Kasper recieves an anonymous call from an obsessed admirer we are then treated to Life in the Fast Lane featuring Sabotawj and Mike Swift . Produced by EQ, Sabotawj, Kasper, and Mike Swift drop verses over a very uptempo beat with keys playing in the background. While Sabotawj sets it off, and Kasper effectively anchors the track well, Mike Swifts verse leaves a bit to be desired. Although solid, had Mike Swift brought more energy to his contribution this would have helped to raise the enjoyment level of this track, ending it on a higher note. Next we transition to All Alone feat. Shrooms and Weapon-X. Also produced by EQ this track is kicked off by a mellow sample only to switch up very agressively each time the emcees on the track drop their verses. Conceptually the track portrays the mindstate of each emcees depiction of feeling all alone in the world. All three emcees hold their own on this cut but in particular Shrooms really sets the tone for this track with his agressive and manic like delivery. Not to be outdone on his own track the Ghost haunts this track as well with lyrics such as Lost my faith the next week, asked my Daddys brain cells If Heaven dont Let me in Ima raise Hell. This track might not get immediately noticed by the casual fan but devoted fans will find themselves disecting this joint. Following this song, our next serviing of what Kasper has to offer is I Could Be the One Part 2 which many will recognize from Young Kaspers previous EP The Other Side. This track is a fine example of Kasper at his best on this album, riding the very atmospheric feeling beat produced by Reset Beats with intensity and precision. Listeners can instantly hear the emotion coming from Kaspers voice as he gets more personal than perhaps on any other track on the album. The Rappers Be Like Skit is an ode to all those so called self proclaimed rappers in the game who suffer from Self Proclaimed Superstar Syndrome. This is followed up by Harvey Dent is Dead, Kaspers track aimed at two faced individuals, implied by the titular reference to the Batman villain. Produced by Marco Anaya, the drums really drive this track. Although Kasper raps with conviction to his subject matter, certain punchlines such as You pussies need a tampon Im breaking somebodys flow and Rappers are like pay perview, you aint gotta click it seemed forced on this track taking away from the Ghosts aggressive approach. Although an enjoyable listen, devoted fans may be left wanting, knowing that Kasper is capable of performing at a higher level. Death Before Dishonor is a braggadocious track feat Esko from Illaborate Minds. Produced by M Dott Fresh the beat is driven by hard synths and drums setting the tone for a very slow and agressive track. Although both Kasper and Esko deliever solid verses on this cut, the concept doesnt bring anything new to the table and after hearing Harvey Dent is Dead prior to this, it seems that the smooth ride weve enjoyed on the album so far has now been interupted by speedbumps in the road. By no means a bad track, Death Before Dishonor definitely hits hard but is more driven by M Dotts production than it is the emcees subject matter. Fans of heavy hitters will enjoy this track but those looking for more substance may find this track sounding like something theyve heard every other rapper spit about before. After the No Homo skit where Kasper is hit on by two questionable fans, the listener is then abruptly hit with Challenger feat. Grimm, Tank White, i2J, Richocett, and Dope One. The transition between this skit and track is quite strange as they have very little to do with each other and this takes away from both the track and the skit preceding it. Nevertheless, on Challenger produced by Tali Rodriguez. Kasper regains form on this track, spitting with renewed vigor. This posse cut does the job and each emcee does comes correct in his own right, anouncing the arrival of the Challenger to any Champ who dare let their guard down. This track gets the job done in respect to getting the album back on track, its only flaw being that conceptually more could have been done to ellaborate on the concept the track implies. Broken Mirrors feat Kulahblind and produced by EQ is one of the stronger cuts on the album. With both KulahBlind and Kasper spitting somber verses on the first and second verses respectively, then exchanging with each other on the third, this is a track that many listeners will find themselves playing on repeat. A dose of realism for those brave enough to listen, both emcees give you their view on what they considered to be a shattered generation. Behind That Smile produced by EQ is Kasper telling the story of a young girl robbed of her innocence. The deep and somber feeling behind this track is complimented by Kaspers detailed storytelling, giving you a very vivid picture of the tragic world through another persons eyes. Another one the albums stronger offerings this is truly one of the tracks where Kaspers songwriting shines the brightest. The Struggles Real skit pokes fun at self proclaimed rappers who put up a front about their lifestyles. From there we are hit with Coming for the Crown feat. Unleashed produced by Lex. Kasper comes hard on this track but admittedly this track is hindered by Unleashed whos verse comes off as sounding very generic and bland and does very little to offer a worthy contribution to the tracks concept, nor does it hold a candle to Kaspers performance in terms of skill level. This track would have better served being a solo track by Kasper or at the very least benefited from a better featured artist. While this track is still a decent offering that many will enjoy listening to one is left to wonder if this track could have offered something more. Lay Low , produced by EQ and Phaizrok is a smooth sounding track for the ladies. Featuring Miss J the very mellow beat and subject matter is a nice departure from what weve been taken through on the album. This is a cut you can kick back and chill to and Miss Js vocals sound reminiscent of those of Vinia Mojica. Kasper does a fine job finding a balance on this track and after all being taken through all the dark parts of the Ghosts mind throughout this album this is a refershing change of pace. The album wraps up with Untitled by Jay Reed which is a verse and a hook in length followed by shoutouts by Kasper. Although there is nothing wrong with this track, it probably would have been better served if it had been used as an interlude before allowing Lay Low to close things out the album on a stronger note. Overall this album show Kaspers growth as an artist since Writers Block, and while there are still a few misteps on this album, T.H.C. still proves to be a strong offering. The album could have done with a few less features and more solo songs by the Ghost himself. The skits, though humerous at times, also seem to feel out of place with the quality of the album, sounding incomplete from a recording standpoint. Despite these minimal flaws T.H.C. still proves to be a solid effort and will definitely have even the most casual listeners giving this repeated plays if given the chance.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 02:48:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015