| Wordsworth: Mirror Music Review | 4 Mar '08 - 12:06pm |
| If skill was the sole determining factor in selling hip hop records, Wordsworth would undoubtedly be multiplatinum. You might know Wordsworth from the famed duo Punchline & Wordsworth, or from appearances on Q-Tip tracks to the Lyricist Lounge Show from the late 90's. Those who follow underground hip hop, even minimally, know Wordsworth is capable of freestyling and battles with the game's elite. However, the true test of an emcee's skill is versatility, the ability to break into numerous styles and concepts almost effortlessly. With Mirror Music, Wordsworth shows his three-dimensional prowess with introspective tracks, creative concepts and overall lyricism.
The album opens with Right Now , a track in which Words' recognizes his fans' patience and shows his appreciation to them. With Ayatollah behind the production, Words knew not to take any shorts if he is to be taken seriously. The next few tracks are consistently creative, and lead into the highlight of the album, Trust, laid down by Dox 1. Words speaks to his daughter and warns her to beware of guys like her own dad, who treated women as objects at times. "You ain't the first to be in love, it always hurts to be in love, don't judge what one man does, you gotta have trust." Obviously Words is no longer the rhyme-happy teenager of a few years ago, rather a mature grown up capable of conveying a most important message to his daughter, while simultaneously admitting his imperfections. On Not Fair, Words reunites with Punch, and the duo sounds solid over Curt Gowdy's uptempo production. He proceeds to show his storytelling skill on One Day, describing a day in his life from the time he awakes to the end of a nonproductive day, a metaphor for his view on how he feels has wasted time in his career. "Yesterday was everyday of the week, now I got no time to sleep." With 20 tracks on the LP, however, some might feel he tried too much too early. It has been proven that one can impact the game just as powerfully with half that figure of songs, a la Illmatic. Cuts like Fastlane and Gonna Be feel slightly out of place and could have been omitted from the track list. Though the album drags on a bit after the halfway point, Words is likeable enough to keep the listeners' heads boppin. Though a solo effort from Wordsworth took years to emerge, it is probably evident that this delay allowed the emcee to release a mature effort, not a half-assed album full of fillers. The final track on the album, That Way, is an honestly written cut about his trifles with his baby's mother. The only disappointment is that it takes 19 tracks to get there. Overall, the album establishes Words as a capable, skilled emcee who put together a satisfactory first album. With introspective lyrics and concepts alike, fans will definitely not be disappointed. It wouldn't be a surprise if Mirror Music ends up attracting new listeners as well as familiar underground heads. |
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