CD REVIEW: Tanya Morgan’s The Bridge EP

If you see a chick named Tanya Morgan in the street, slap her, cuz she’s perpetrating. Just jokes, but seriously. Tanya Morgan is not that girl you used to sweat during third period, they are a three man rap crew, consisting of Brooklyn-based MC/producer Von Pea and Cincinnati rappers Donwill and Ilyas. The Bridge EP is intended to be, well, a bridge between TM’s 2006 debut Moonlighting and the upcoming Brooklynati album.
Pea has stated in interviews that one of his goals in crafting the EP was to improve the mixing. He’s succeeded in getting a much better sounding mix on The Bridge, with the lows slinking under your Timbs and the hi-hats reaching New Era status.

The Bridge flows from track to track seamlessly, and the short length is welcome in a genre filled with self-indulgent 80 minute albums. The EP’s instrumentals adhere to soulful boom bap with an emphasis placed on vocal samples. By working closely with a tight-knit group of producers, the group has achieved a unified sound. Von Pea produced five of the album’s nine tracks, and the rest of the instrumentals were created by affiliate producers Brickbeats, Aeon, Mysterious Productions as well as 88-Keys (Black Star, Beanie Sigel, Musiq Soulchild).

A few tracks that stuck out for me: “Be You” featuring Czelena finds the TM emcees arguing for being yourself in a game that encourages rappers to mimic the next hot thing. “Filthier Interlude” brings to mind classic 90s posse cuts like Heavy D’s “Don’t Curse” with a syllable-stuffing verse from each member fighting to beat the clock on the barely two-minute cut.

Production wise, the electro sounding roller rink jam “How Low” is the only track that sounds out of place, but it’s a bonus track, so they’re forgiven.The Bridge’s true closer is “Hip Hop Is Dead II” where Von, Don, and Ilyas address the current state of hip-hop, ending with the refrain, “they keep saying hip hop is dead, but I can’t see it/I just can’t see it.”

As long as quality rappers like Tanya Morgan are dropping new material, I can’t see it either.

– Aaron Matthews

Review: Buckshot and 9th Wonder’s The Formula

“Some of your LPs/stand for ‘long punishment’ ” – Buckshot, “No Future”

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The Formula is the second full length to come from the partnership of Black Moon MC Buckshot and former Little Brother producer 9^th Wonder. Sonically, The Formula is mastered better than their first collaboration, 2005’s Chemistry, with the beats hitting harder and the production sounding crisper. But 9^th Wonder’s production gives the album the same lush and soulful vibe that his fans seek and Buckshot flows nicely over his midtempo beats. The Formula’s consistency is both its greatest strength and greatest liability; the problem is, neither emcee nor producer really leaves their comfort zone. 9^th Wonder does great work but his airy samples and signature drums can grow repetitive for first time listeners. The seamless nature of The Formula makes the songs blend together. The album would also have benefitted from more guest spots, as Buckshot’s unwavering delivery wears after a while. But Buck’s trademark sing song/toast perfected on Enta Da Stage still sounds good, and he still comes with the street-smart punch lines that made records like “I Got Cha Opin” so memorable.
9ths campain for Adult Contemporary hip-hop has entered its next phase. R&B singers like Carlitta Durand add sung choruses to several songs, lending the album a smoother, more mature steez than its more rugged, Beatminerz-influenced predecessor. Where Buckshot once threatened to buck down weak emcees who stepped to him, he’s switched up his style as befits an elder statesman. Now he kicks the truth to the youth, rapping: “I don’t preach/but I do teach/my little homies in the hood how to outreach.”

While the songs may be a bit similar sounding at times, it’s encouraging to see a rapper working with a single producer on an album. And The Formula’s highlights more than make up for the duller tracks. Lyrically the best tracks include “Go All Out”, “Hold It Down” featuring Talib Kweli and Tyler Woods, “Shinin’ Y’All” & “Man Listen”. -Aaron Matthews