Easily
one of the most talented and fresh-sounding duos in the world of rap,
The Antiheroes’ (
Sha Prince and
Flex) debut LP,
this is freeDUMB, is both musically a great contribution to hip hop and a
powerful criticism of modern society and culture. Throughout the album, the two
MCs not only point out the obscenities that they perceive around them, both in
regards to the hip hop scene and the world at large, but they also poignantly
express their own internal dialogues and struggles they face as artists and
human beings. Most importantly, Flex and Sha are lyrically able to accomplish
their thematic goals without sounding corny or repetitive. Each track on this
album sounds like its own distinct single and evokes different emotions in the
listener, despite producer MMac producing 8 of the 17 tracks (a testament to
the beat-maker’s versatility and creativity).
this is freeDUMB is an album not only for those who love high
quality hip hop music, but even moreso for those who love and appreciate strong
lyricism that touches on deep concepts and complex issues.
The
album opens with an eloquent and heartfelt verse by Flex over a lovely
synthetic organ-laden beat by MMac and sharp cuts by
DJ Docta. Flex, through
bar-filled flows and with an ear-pleasing, mid-high frequency arioso tone, raps
about his frustrations in facing obstacles to success as an artist. What rings
through loud and clear though is not cynicism in Flex’s verse, but rather a
passionate commitment to succeed (and with these kinds of lyrics, it’d be a
damn shame if he doesn’t): “
I’m so
committed to living within an image of doing whatever’s fitting/ for me to be
in position to give ‘em what they were missing.” Flex also speaks on a
value that both he and Sha seem to hold dear to their art when he spits: “
honestly is my honesty necessary to blow?/
is selling your soul the recipe? I was hoping it’s no.” It’s clear from
listening to
this is freeDUMB a few
times that The Antiheroes are not willing to compromise their content or dumb-down
their self-expressions in order to make music that may be more commercially
viable or marketable to the masses. That’s not to say that
this is freeDUMB isn’t commercially viable; if anything one of the
reasons the quality of their work is so strong is that these artists don’t
settle for less than raw authenticity in their music. On the same title track,
Sha Prince (bringing a sharp delivery, and on-point intricate flows to the
table) reflects on his own self-doubts and personal life choices, which he
worries may contain an opportunity cost that doesn’t add up in his favour: “
life – I never rush it/ I’m rolling with my
punches/ maybe I slow it too much and now I’m running lunges” and “
being a rap-star isn’t in my best interest.”
Undoubtedly, Sha echoes the same hunger and passion in his verse as Flex does,
firing off intense and ferocious flows: “
in
a verse, on a record, some may say he talk reckless/ but never give a damn,
since a kid my mind rebellious/ and I eat these rappers’ lunch, dinner,
breakfast on a tracklist/ only spitting two years, word almost perfected.”
For a rapper only spitting for two
years, Sha Prince displays a lot more talent and skill than many who have been
in the game for a decade.
Jon
Dubbs supplies a rock-symphonic instrumental on the second track, Become Alive, complete with guitar riffs
and violin melodies on the chorus. Flex and Sha articulate their internal
conflicts on this track perhaps better than any other on the album. Sha Prince
in particular, never a stranger to expressing brutally honest and at times even
extreme thoughts on wax, goes in on his conflicting desires for wealth and
material success in contradiction to staying true to his own values and
principles: “living lavish was never my
goal/ ‘till my hunger rose, belly ache, winter froze/ lights dim, looking at my
situation inside impatient eyes/ temptation is now my best friend/ worst enemy,
lord seek the remedy/ lead me on the right path before my body doesn’t breathe.”
Sha’s erratic flows on this track excellently compliment the frantic nature of
the opposing thoughts being vented on this track.
Circus Clowns (track #3), another engrossing production by MMac
with DJ Docta cuts, is a poetically infused track in which The Antiheroes
attack the rap scene which they perceive as becoming little more than a “circus
of clowns.” Sha and Flex stake their claim as MCs to be reckoned with on this
track and confidently announce their goal to elevate the standards of what is
deemed to be acceptable, quality rap music (also check the remix on the album’s
final track).
Fly (track #5) is an
inspirational track with captivating samples by producer Jay Emess about
finding motivation and self-empowerment by being grateful and focusing on
living out dreams in order to elevate over current circumstances.
There’s
a slew of talented features on the album. Soulful songstress
Tamsynn Lee
blesses
track #4,
Masquerade, (as well as track #9,
All Alone) which is a song that digs
below the surface to reveal the underlying causes of unfortunate life
circumstances that have become all too commonplace in the world. Prolific Durham
Region rapper
Daxflow makes an appearance on
Everyday (track #6, produced by Beatwyze, DJ Docta again on the cuts)
on which he vents his anger about his abusive, selfish, irresponsible absentee
father, while Sha Prince speaks on the painful experiences of his past that he
kept inside and Flex reveals that expressing himself via writing and rapping
has been vital to his existence: “what’s living if I’m within a prison built up
inside?/ if it wasn’t written, I’d never find a will to survive.”
Everyday is an especially insightful
track as each of the lyricists describe in their own way (whether explicitly or
otherwise) how hip hop, via writing and rapping (i.e. being emcees), has given
them the ability to stay sane and live productive, meaningful lives despite the
trying circumstances they faced growing up.
The Rebels (Listen Up) (track #7) is one of the heaviest hitting bangers on the album, thanks
in part to the banging beat produced by up-and-coming Toronto producer
RichKidd. This track is definitely an attention grabber (evident in the title of
the track), with high-impact lyrics, punchy deliveries from both Sha and Flex,
and complete with a feature from the always entertaining
D-Sisive: “fuck you,
your momma and your cousin too/ your momma’s gay husband’s uncle’s brother, and
his cousin too” (yes D…you got our attention...).
Singer
Emerson Brooks
(recently signed to Atlantic Records) provides a unique hook on
Where to Begin (track #12), a song about
relationship troubles and past relationships. Kenny Cee, another skilled
vocalist, sings the chorus on
Given Up On
Me (track #13), a track produced by Khz with a sample that sounds eerily
similar to Zepplin’s
Stairway to Heaven.
Flex and Sha Prince complement each other very elegantly on this track, with
Flex delivering a calmer, more melodic verse with reflective and well
contextualized lyrics about his past, whereas Sha raps with a much harsher tone
and abrasive cadences, which match the animated and harsh content on his
retrospective verse. Gospel-style R&B singer Mike Devine compliments track
#16,
Morning, with his passionate and
ambient voice. The beat on this track, produced by Graffic, is probably the
calmest and most laid-back beat on the album, which evidently doesn’t suit The
Antiheroes style very well, unfortunately – both Sha and Flex sound a bit harsh
over this track, which could have benefited either by them toning down their
deliveries a bit or by a smoother vocal mixing by the engineer.
The Antiheroes give a vividly dispelling
treatment to the dirty underbelly of the “Hollywood lifestyle” of entertainment
on Hollywood (track #10), produced by
triple-threat artist Relic. One of my personal favourites on the entire album
(which is hard to say, given how dope the entire project is) is the track OJ Gloves (track #11). There’s something
very serious and polished about Sha’s tone and delivery on this track, showing
that even when he simplifies his flows he can still spit hard and impress with
the best of them. Flex also comes correct and on point on OJ Gloves, at times with flows reminiscent of Big Pun (with a
clearer voice and less laboured reathing). Lyrically, both emcees prove how bright
they can shine in this song (albeit each in their own way), Sha with his clever
vulgarity, “laughing, like my first name Freddy dude/ last name Kruger but
filthier than a prostitute/ not on my level – never reach my altitude/ finger
hurt from skipping your tracks like they was interludes,” and Flex with his intellectual
superiority, “I take it some of you followers swallow what you were fed/ you
wallow within your own – I’m stepping over your head.” Track #15, Of the Night, is definitely a hidden gem
on this album, with The Antiheroes coming raw with flows that remind the
listener of classic Planet Asia verses and lyrics that evoke the feelings of
dark alleyways and late nights with shady characters in the wrong part of town.
MMac again supplies an excellently produced instrumental for this song that evokes
memories of Pharaohe Monch’s Internal
Affairs album.
There’s an overarching sound
on
this is freeDUMB that can best be
described as a romantic requiem in response to a dead and pure form of hip hop
that has been lost over the years. In a broader context, there seems to be an
undertone in the MCs words expressing a nostalgic eulogy to naïve dreams,
desires, and values that, while not being abandoned, have had to be tempered
and adapted to certain harsh realities they now face. Flex and Sha Prince are,
for the most part, a very complementary pair of artists throughout the project.
Flex endows The Antiheroes’ sound with a sense of stability in terms of rhyme pattern,
flow structure, and smooth delivery while Sha Prince contributes
unpredictability with intricate flows, harsher tones, and a gritty feel to his
verses. After listening to each artists’ lyrical content, particularly their
respective interludes (Flex on track #8 and Sha Prince on track #13), it seems
that despite both of them coming from difficult childhood upbringings, Flex is
a bit more at peace with his past that Sha is. The difference in the places on
their life journeys between the two artists, while the divide doesn’t seem to
be too big, makes for an interesting dichotomy throughout the project. It’s
hard to fault either MC for anything; both of the rappers are technically
almost perfect with their flows and their styles are well defined. To be nitpicky
(and I am stretching for constructive criticisms here), Flex’s voice and
presence on the tracks can at times sound a bit monotonous from song to song
(despite switching up his flows and rhyme structures). Sha Prince, on the other
hand, can occasionally go a bit far with the complexity of his flow structure,
which can sometimes obstruct the vibe of the track. Most listeners may not put
this album on repeat and listen to all the minute details and technical
elements in the music, however I encourage them do so – if they are lovers of
hip hop, they will be hard-pressed to find anything to give this album flack
for. The Antiheroes have set the bar very high for themselves on their debut
LP, and I hope that the world starts to take notice of the immense talent that
is embedded on the wax (or plastic or digital encoding) of
this is freeDUMB.
