close

Hip-hop bridges the geographical gap on Monolith Monster as Cincinnati-Detroit duo DC Comets elicit a rawness felt through the heavily-sampled instrumentals by producer Cream of Beats and the ambitious lyricism of rapper Theory Hazit. Be it the thick drums pushing the songs into the red or Theory Hazit’s breathless bars, the music heard on Monolith Monster is lively, full of soul and consistent throughout.

The Michigan producer also known as Roxstar is no stranger to the no-nonsense emcee that is Theory Hazit. The two started working together a few years back on Theory’s debut album and the two have been friends since. Thank the hip-hop gods that these two ended up cranking out a slew of records that were trimmed down to the unique set of tracks presently before us.

Theory has been known to drop an fiery-tongued feature here and there, but as DC Comets, the rapper really demonstrates his versatility and raw skill on the mic. On one song, Theory will be asserting his dexterity as an artist (see “AstroKnowMe”) and then he will switch hats and speak sentimentally reminiscing on good times with his former lover (see “Reconsilence”). Subtract the subject matter, though and you have a familiar energy and delivery on each and every song which gleams as one of Theory’s shining characteristics.

If you try to pigeonhole Cream of Beats’ as a producer with a certain style, the best you can do is make note of his heavy use of soul samples. This is because one minute the producer provides a bright jam to cruise to, such as “I Want H.E.R.,” but then the producer turns around and spills droplets of whimsical electronica, if you want to call it that. This is obviously the general style of the beatsmith as this happens numerous times and on one play the sounds seem out of place; upon second listening, the sounds feel right, but then once the track is replayed, you may not know what to think. The buzzes and asteroid-like drips of synths and other electronic effects at times feel like a gnat on the track; it’s presence is minimal and you often ignore it, but it’s there and you know it, too, and sometimes you just want it to go away. The producer matches the splatter paint enigma of the emcee he makes his beats for. In this regard, two artists going in the opposite direction of the norm find home using each others’ art.

Monolith Monster does a good job at conveying a different persona than what typical rappers are akin to, despite the album seeming drawn-out just a bit. Theory Hazit handles his sharp delivery well over Cream’s fueled-up beats. Whether evoking a sense of lyrical wonder or wearing his heart on his sleeve, Theory Hazit dances around the album from topic to topic to cover all grounds. Cream matches Hazit’s energy well and gives a solid soundscape for the emcee to display his craft on. Tracks like “Yackity Smackity” and “Intense” show the duo’s spirited attitude and are great examples of how these two can make sincere hip-hop music just as well as they can throw seriousness out the window and entertain the listeners. That is the kind of act hip-hop needs.

8/10

Download Monolith Monster via Amazon

Tracklisting:

1) F.Y.I.
2) AstroKnowMe x School Pizza (feat. Jermiside)
3) Gimme Ur Luv
4) I Want H.E.R. (feat. Fresh Daily)
5) Collard Greens (feat. JustME)
6) Move
7) Yackity Smackity
8) Come Home Pt. 3 (feat. Melanie Rutherford)
9) Marshall Act (feat. Destro the Destructo)
10) Reconsilence (feat. Epp & REiAL)
11) I.O.U. Too (feat. Colette Chantel)
12) The Upswing (feat. Mr. Brady)
13) Intense (feat. Wordsmith & Diana Theodora)

Monolith Monster by DC Comets

Tags : Cream of BeatsDC CometsTheory Hazit
Stone

The author Stone

Stone is a hip-hop enthusiast residing in NJ/PA. As an aspiring hip-hop producer, Stone studies communications and shares his passion for music by letting the world in on the wonderful world of hip-hop.