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SciFi Stu isn’t quite a new jack to the game, and this album has been on the digital “shelf” for quite sometime and it’s about time I shed a little light on this full-fledged effort. Stu is from Edinburgh, Scotland which is far from a hotbed of hip-hop activity, but I don’t discriminate, especially since he’s worked with veteran emcees such as Vast Aire and Moka Only. Reflectionz is a compilation album that is entirely self produced and has a decent guest list of featured emcees and the like. That would seem like a formula for success, right? Not really. I’ll keep this one brief.

The decent guest list that was previously mentioned consists of relative no-names…at least they were to me. Apart from appearances from Roc Marciano, junclassic, El Da Sensei and Apani B, I was in the dark about who most of the compiled artists were, let alone their place in hip-hop. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you discover someone that’s bringing the heat.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot lyrical fire being brought to the table on this joint. The vibe that SciFi Stu brings to the table on this album is a very smooth one. I don’t necessarily have a problem with a smooth vibe, but I do have a problem when it comes at the expense of heavy eyelids. The cuts by Chinch 33 are some of the highlights of the record for sure, and I’m eternally grateful someone threw some scratches into the mix. The album truly needed the addition of the cuts and I’m glad Stu pulled the trigger on one of the better decisions in the crafting of the LP.

There are a few standout tracks to be had on this reflective journey. “Choices” has a super dope sample and a chill vibe, like most of the record. The posse cut “The Most Efficient” is one of the more hard hitting tracks on the project. You know, that shit that hip-hop is all about…spitting bars! Another track that I found stimulating was “Time Flies.” This cut features a cat called Fresh Sly, who I’ve never heard music from (although I’ve seen him on HHSE a few times), but brings sufficient rhymes to the table. The piano-sample laced beat is probably the best part, as it should be, seeing as this is Scifi Stu’s album and the beats should be the highlight after all.

The album’s title, Reflectionz, directly correlates to the old-school, soulful samples that are reminiscent of times past. There is also a glimpse of a reflection of the golden era of hip-hop, a period of great influence to Stu when these types of samples dominated the landscape.

Overall, the vibe is there and the cohesion is even there (which is rare for a compilation). The excitement and innovation, however, is lacking. I’ll admit that I’m not very well versed in Stu’s catalog, but this offering is a step in the wrong direction.

It’s important to note that this isn’t a bad LP by any means, it just isn’t very good. This album can play in the background on repeat for hours without anyone really taking notice of it. Even when trying to focus on the listening experience, I found myself losing focus.

If you heard this album briefly playing in a record store, you may be tempted to buy it. If you heard it for any substantial length of time though, you may lose interest. Any given track by itself could peak the interest of an average fan of hip-hop, but once you put it all together, it turns into the soundtrack for your nap time.

6/10

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Kebin Seventhirty

The author Kebin Seventhirty