Review: The Upside of Down by Ini-Herit Skill

Ini-Herit Skill, an up and coming NYC producer with a new sound presents a new project, The Upside of Down an homage to dead musicians. Everyone from Nate Dogg to Big L is represented with new production and mastering. With such an ambitious project following his well received, debut L.P, Beats for Breakfast LP which released this past spring, Ini-Herit Skill attempts to rise to the occasion and deliver on an anticipated new project

Opening:
The L.P opens up with a montage of sorts; audio clips from news reports of different artists deaths' and reminiscing from people who knew the artists set over a somber beat. The opening has a slightly tense feel similar to a BEEF DVD segment, it's an energizing intro that flies directly into the first track which features MCs, Big L, Notorious B.I.G (on the hook) 2Pac and Big Punisher. The beat is exceptionally smooth and Ini selects some very stellar verses from each MC even though it's a bit difficult to hear the vocals over the beat (especially the vocal sample in the beat).

Surgery?
The next track is a smooth jazzy remix of Big Punisher's "Surgery with the Chainsaw" it's actually a bit weird to hear the track over a jazzy saxophone and piano heavy beat and even harder to hear the vocals, again. I find myself wishing I could turn off the vocals and just hear the beat.

Funky:
The next track is something any geek who loved the Sega Genesis can appreciate: The Theme song from Toejam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron... at least a sample of it with rappers, Guru, Ol Dirty Bastard & Left Eye with late crooner, Nate Dogg on the hook. Now, while the beat is not bad, it lacks creativity outside of the sampled choice and then there are the vocals which aside from being low are out of sync, especially Left Eye's vocals which are almost totally not in sync with the beat. This far from my favorite track but it starts off well.

Be Eazy:
The next track brings the focus to Eazy-E. I wasn't really impressed with the beat on the first listen but it is complimentary to the acapella and Eazy E's charisma makes it. However, this track is a sleeper hit at best. It's a skip-worthy affair.

Intermission:
The next track has no vocals whatsoever and is a deep thought provoking instrumental that you could definitely blaze one to. As a matter of fact I think I will.
A quick skip past takes us to an interlude from the one and only Dirt McGirt, Ol Dirty Bastard. "In Hawaii, the lava alone make my dick hard" he says over a theme song sample (I can't remember which show, sue me). Well placed interlude.

It's Raining Game:
This goes into a feature from the often overlooked west coast rapper, Mac Dre who was killed in Kansas City years ago. The beat seems like it's meant for the vocals, especially the hook but aside from Mac's vocals being low, the vocals are off beat for a good portion of the song so I am definitely torn on this track.

Smooth:
Pimp C rocks the next Ini beat. The track is crazy smooth and I could see Pimp rocking it if he were alive to this day. I definitely considered this a top track on the album.
The next track brings us to a smooth jazz infused interlude featuring a younger Jada Pinkett-Smith reminiscing over 2Pac in an old interview which leads to the late Aaliyah whose death's anniversary recently passed.

Oh Aaliyah...
I like the beat and vocals respectively but combined, the end result is far from ideal with off beat and out of key vocals that don't marry well with the slow, powerful tracks. This is not what your girlfriend will play when you're gone (or vice versa).

The End:
The ending brings us Biggie Smalls, Guru & 2Pac with Big L on the hook. The beat isn't the best I've heard from Ini but also far not the worse and combined with the acapella actually makes for a pretty good song.

The Verdict:
This album was an ambitious concept and production-wise is a pretty solid display of skill from Ini-Herit, however post-production issues and a few poor acapella choices keeps this from being a classic.This is worth a listen and download to hear some greats with a new sound and revitalization.

Bottom Line: 6/10

Wale- ElevenOneEleven Mixtape Review

Lets take this track by track. The opening sees Wale spitting a spoken word poem over keys with a freestyle that reminded me of my own poem interlude, The Inauguration Address although very different in mood... a very subtle opening followed by a nice opening track in "Fuck You" with the familliar Tone P touch it's apparent to me immediately that Wale has become a more comfortable and confident emcee and it shows. Filled with lyrical bravado and a fresh bounce, I couldn't help but fuck with the track and the hook: Fuck you/ When a nigga in the room, give a nigga room will be stuck in my head for a minute.
The next track, Drums and Shit speeds things up with a breakbeat jam that builds into something grand and again Wale rips through with venomous bars straight into the next track one of his latest hits Chain Music. To keep it real, the beat is tough for sure, a club banger up and down but the verses seemed somewhat indistinguishable from a Rick Ross (1st verse) and Meek Millz (2nd verse). I liked the song in the end but it seemed like a swag change up.
The next track, Lacefrontin speeds things back up with Wale calling out all the fake women with an arrogant flow. Again, I hear Rick Ross type flow in the mix. The beat itself is pretty hard and reminds me of 80s party hip hop.
With the next track, Mother Nature brings us to a different mood. The song is a radio smash for sure with Wale speaking to your girlfriend, sister and mother over a panty dropper beat. I kinda zoned out from the track as I'm not really into this sort of rapping but I do give props for some bars I caught.
The next track, Barry Sanders (opened up with a clever sample from Paid in Full) was okay to me but the rhyme scheme he uses is nothing new, however the bars and metaphors are on point and the beat reminds me of a Just Blaze banger.
The next joint, Passive Agress-Her is another slow jam for the ladies. The beat is infectious, Wale reminds me of Lil Wayne on the track but he retains his own swag with the track. I can ride out to this track with a shawty in the whip.
The next track, Fairy Tales threw me for a loop. I twisted my face at first as I thought it was another Keith Sweat rap but Lil Duval lends his R&B and comedic talents to the mix for a hilarious final product that you can't help but laugh at and put on repeat like 3 times.
The next joint, Ocean Drive is a reggae hip-hop hybrid from the Ambition album that will definitely be getting overplayed by your local radio station featuring members of The Board, Wale's group. Its not a bad track but not my flavor. Again, about women. By this point I'm beginning to tire of hearing about women and am ready to send Wale a case of baby oil and chase for his white Zinfandel.
The next track brings us back to a more serious tone. Samples and Shit reminds me of let the beat build though not as exciting. The drums are minimal and the content is more of what you heard all throughout the first 5 tracks. By now I'm dying to hear some substance.
The next track, Ambitious Girl is not helping the situation. To be fair, the track is a hit that will ensure he
goes gold or betteron his next album but as I'm tired of hearing soft shit this track is skip-worthy to me.
Then we get to Let's Chill featuring Lloyd which you've no doubt heard by now on the radio. Same track More softness, my head is beginning to ache.
The next track, Pick Six brings us to a mellow jazzy place. A decent track complete with arrogance and sports metaphors.
After this Varsity Blues continues a sports trend in the mixtape. Wale spills out a little bit of his soul on the track and the song overall is pretty good and I feel as if we are hearing frustration from Attention Deficit's attention deficit from Interscope.
If Varsity Blues was the buildup, Underdog was the crescendo. Tough track that I can definitely feel and relate to. One of my favorite tracks on the mixtape.
Finally podium ends out the tape with members of the Board getting shine with Wale in a declaration type track. Powerful finish for the tape.
I can barely call this a mixtape. Let me be clear, this is a Maybach Music free album.
Bottom line. 7.5/ 10