Evidence "The Weatherman LP"
I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving! I’m getting paid! Although as much as I keep telling myself I don’t care that I’m here in the office all day it does feel just a little strange to not be home right now – never not been with my mom and fam on a Thanksgiving, and I’m thankful for my past so I guess I’ll survive today.
That’s not why you are here though. I haven’t stopped banging The Layover EP all week (it’s the perfect length for my walk to work) and tomorrow it will be revealed just exactly how I feel about it, like you don’t already know. Today though I figured why not take a look at what is responsible for my impression with all that Ev touches these days.
The Weatherman LP.
As I made it known Monday, I wasn’t feeling the last few joints from Dilated Peoples. I heard some talk about a solo joint from Ev coming out on ABB but I was busy being a hater, screaming that he and his crew fell off and I didn’t care – never have I had to eat my words quite so harshly.
It started with the lead single “Mr. Slow Flow.” With some great cuts courtesy of DJ Revolution - this man is a beast- Evidence introduced us to himself, the man who has mastered that slow flow style. Over a synth heavy banger from Sid Roams (look ‘em up) the track just screamed to me and I was stuck. I immediately found myself putting the album on, not quite ready to see how wrong I was.
Just listen to it.
From the opening cut, every tack is bananas! Evidence and Alchemist handle the bulk of production on the album, filled with that heavy crate digger sound with great vocal snippets chopped and layered in over hard drums and beautiful keys. This isn’t to say the album is soft, Alc hooks up those type of tracks you have come to expect from him while also showing us his sound can evolve out of the griminess and Ev displays his ever expanding production style across a number of tracks here.
The passing of his mother is a heavy influence on this album and Ev has commented that this record was intended to be his “emo” joint where he got that sadness out of him. He couldn’t let it get him down though as he rocks the Alchemist banger “Chase the Clouds Away” like only he could, creating a beautiful tribute to his mom and his happiness. Filled with positive lyrics about pushing oneself to achieve, this feel good song will certainly chase the clouds out of your day and hopefully fun will follow.
Fun is a large part of what attracts me to the music these guys are making. From the friendship of Ev and Al to the relationships they have formed, everything seems to be done more out of love and a passion for the art. The music feels alive. The beats bang and the lyrics resonate, but most importantly the album is an enjoyable listen - It sounds good.
Good could be Jake One laying down a joint for Ev to discuss his love for NYC – even if he’s from the west he will always enjoy the town that birthed this culture. Or it might be Phonte lacing the hook for “Letyourselfgo.” Maybe it’s the heavy static like synths Sid Roams rocks in their three tracks, one of which - “Believe in Me” – features the always stellar Res on the hook. Or maybe it’s just hearing Evidence rhyming over his own beats.
The guests are abundant here, but they never distract from the album. We get a couple group efforts with multiple emcees laying down verses, “NC to CA” being the standout. Featuring a loud beat that Joe Scudda declares “slap music,” he is joined by Pooh and Defari alongside Ev for a unification of coasts. I can’t even say that one of them takes it, just enjoy the art of emceeing found here.
That can be applied to the album as a whole. Ev’s thoughtful dedication to his mother “I Still Love You” closes the album showing a son who has grieved and now looks forward to pushing on in her memory. This theme of pushing on is another constant throughout, often discussing how to stay one step ahead and never failing. Slug and Ev team up over one of the Alchemists greatest beats ever on “Line of Scrimmage.” Say what you will about Slug (lord knows I’ve said my fair share) the man can flow next to anyone and with his verse here he should never be denied his due.
If 2006 was the year Hip Hop died, 2007 was the year of the resurrection and The Weatherman LP played an integral role in raising the dead.
That’s not why you are here though. I haven’t stopped banging The Layover EP all week (it’s the perfect length for my walk to work) and tomorrow it will be revealed just exactly how I feel about it, like you don’t already know. Today though I figured why not take a look at what is responsible for my impression with all that Ev touches these days.
The Weatherman LP.
As I made it known Monday, I wasn’t feeling the last few joints from Dilated Peoples. I heard some talk about a solo joint from Ev coming out on ABB but I was busy being a hater, screaming that he and his crew fell off and I didn’t care – never have I had to eat my words quite so harshly.
Evidence "Things You Do"
It started with the lead single “Mr. Slow Flow.” With some great cuts courtesy of DJ Revolution - this man is a beast- Evidence introduced us to himself, the man who has mastered that slow flow style. Over a synth heavy banger from Sid Roams (look ‘em up) the track just screamed to me and I was stuck. I immediately found myself putting the album on, not quite ready to see how wrong I was.
Just listen to it.
From the opening cut, every tack is bananas! Evidence and Alchemist handle the bulk of production on the album, filled with that heavy crate digger sound with great vocal snippets chopped and layered in over hard drums and beautiful keys. This isn’t to say the album is soft, Alc hooks up those type of tracks you have come to expect from him while also showing us his sound can evolve out of the griminess and Ev displays his ever expanding production style across a number of tracks here.
Evidence “All Said & Done”
The passing of his mother is a heavy influence on this album and Ev has commented that this record was intended to be his “emo” joint where he got that sadness out of him. He couldn’t let it get him down though as he rocks the Alchemist banger “Chase the Clouds Away” like only he could, creating a beautiful tribute to his mom and his happiness. Filled with positive lyrics about pushing oneself to achieve, this feel good song will certainly chase the clouds out of your day and hopefully fun will follow.
Fun is a large part of what attracts me to the music these guys are making. From the friendship of Ev and Al to the relationships they have formed, everything seems to be done more out of love and a passion for the art. The music feels alive. The beats bang and the lyrics resonate, but most importantly the album is an enjoyable listen - It sounds good.
Good could be Jake One laying down a joint for Ev to discuss his love for NYC – even if he’s from the west he will always enjoy the town that birthed this culture. Or it might be Phonte lacing the hook for “Letyourselfgo.” Maybe it’s the heavy static like synths Sid Roams rocks in their three tracks, one of which - “Believe in Me” – features the always stellar Res on the hook. Or maybe it’s just hearing Evidence rhyming over his own beats.
Evidence ft. Res “Believe In Me”
The guests are abundant here, but they never distract from the album. We get a couple group efforts with multiple emcees laying down verses, “NC to CA” being the standout. Featuring a loud beat that Joe Scudda declares “slap music,” he is joined by Pooh and Defari alongside Ev for a unification of coasts. I can’t even say that one of them takes it, just enjoy the art of emceeing found here.
That can be applied to the album as a whole. Ev’s thoughtful dedication to his mother “I Still Love You” closes the album showing a son who has grieved and now looks forward to pushing on in her memory. This theme of pushing on is another constant throughout, often discussing how to stay one step ahead and never failing. Slug and Ev team up over one of the Alchemists greatest beats ever on “Line of Scrimmage.” Say what you will about Slug (lord knows I’ve said my fair share) the man can flow next to anyone and with his verse here he should never be denied his due.
If 2006 was the year Hip Hop died, 2007 was the year of the resurrection and The Weatherman LP played an integral role in raising the dead.
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