These days, its too easy for a skilled rhymesayer to be unfairly pegged a Gangsta Rapper if his lyrics have a hint of cartoon-ish violence and/or misogyny in them. Its also quite easy to pigeonhole the same rapper as a Pop Artist if his songs are cluttered with sing-songy choruses and club-friendly hooks. In this day and age of compartmentalized Hip Hop, what is a spiritually-minded lyricist to do?
Skribbal, an up-and-upcoming rapper from Oregon, plans to undermine this mindless system of categorization by injecting uplifting rhymes with plenty of hope, honesty and positivity while keeping his beat-driven music as Pop-friendly as possible. On his debut album, Social Experiment, the ambitious wordsmith tackles a plethora of serious subjects (from disenchantment to false media and youth) without resorting to obscenities or metaphorical gunplay. This full-length effort also showcases Skribbals appreciation for stellar MCs (mostly from the Golden Era) that have paved the way for the creative flair, quality rhymes and deft lyricism that the rapper aspires to one day become known for.
No other song on the album is more indicative of Skribbals heroic approach than the track featuring a group called Risen Tunes entitled, Free. Over catchy drums and a glorious sample, Skribbal infuses memorable lines, with his deftly personal message for peace, love and unity. He further reinforces his preacher-meets-MC vibe by including touching sound bytes from emcee's who have influenced him. Other stellar tracks include Media, a song that brilliantly displays Skribbal's religious beliefs and hate for the false profits of today, and In The Game," a verbal expression of love in spite of the negativity that surrounds us.
The combination of old school reverence, pop sensibilities and lyrical consciousness works well on a majority of Social Experiment. On his debut, Skribbal often rides the updated positive beat with a decidedly East Coast precision and elevated seriousness that is laid-back fun that rappers in this particular subgenre of Hip Hop music display with chronic ease. "So Fresh" is a fun will smith-styled track, with a catchier hook than anything T Pain could possibly rock right, while "Underground Parliament (featuring Beridox)" is a glimpse back to the oldschool, 90's underground scene of hip hop.
Skribbal's debut effort promises listeners a reprieve from the dichotomy of Thug Rap and Pop Hop with a counterattack of uplifting spirituality, Pop catchiness and Old School reverence. The Oregonian rapper fares well when these elements come together lovely and his powerful messages are in sync with the uplifting music. The young wordsmith delivers the joyful nature and spiritual focus with perfection...in the vein of John Reuben, Manafest, and Mars Ill. A great album, that will go down as a success and a true blessing from God.
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