Man, I’ll never get tired of connecting with brand-new artists I’ve never heard of. No matter how many I discover, there will be a sea of fresh producers and MCs ready for me to try, and today is one of those days! So let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new album by MC T.O. Lestat with production from the likes of:
Executive Producer: T.O. Lestat
Beat Production: Imminent Productions
Producer/Engineer: Crackerican
And across these 13 tracks, this album plays like a dark and twisted movie. At first (based on the intro), I thought of Redman’s debut album in inspiration with the whole Doctor part and then the switching between skits and music!
As the album officially kicked in, the actual music has a strong 2000s West Coast vibe to be. I’m picturing artists like early Eminem, Ice Cube, even some Immortal Technique thrown in there!
For example, tracks like ‘No More’ which has those glossy, delicate piano keys with that traditional hip-hop drum pattern and subtle strings in the background. This song has a real strong ‘acoustic’ vibe to it while focusing on the raw, skeletal movement to give the audience the undivided attention to T.O. and his bars!
Or we can look at the track ‘Dear Diary’ which continues that somber and melodic production as the track before. Light and intricate piano keys with those plucked strings and a tad bit more heavy drum pattern with some subtle bass lines!
This reminds me of a Studio Ghibli score. Emotionally complex and minimal at the same time! A truly unique and engaging experience!
We can even look at the track ‘Mental Break Down’ which contains a more heavier and experimental approach with those brash and manipulated chord progressions and the occasional drum blast that comes and goes every other second!
This is definitely the sound of ‘chaos’ reinvented, and for the subject matter discussed, this thing is truly remarkable.
As impressive and well executed as the production is, the lyricism is the star of the show. What he’s pulled off with his pen game and performance is beyond compare!
As I said in the intro, this thing runs like a movie, and a compelling movie at that. We have T.O. leaving nothing to the imagination and being as brutally honest with us, the audience, and in that state of being an ‘open book’, we get some of the most deep and brutal moments in rap of the year.
Whether you want to discuss his skits talking to his doctor about his addiction to drugs and alcohol or his newly developed hatred for women because of an extreme break-up. Or even checking tracks like ‘Dear Diary’ or ‘Giving Up & In & Mental Health’ where we hear him talking about his life, his trials and tribulations, and how he handles life and even reading from his diary and even how truly fucked up his mental really is!
Every track on this album is an in-depth study into a man’s psyche and how someone who is deeply mentally and emotionally broken goes through life, and in the process of this, he showcases a next-level storytelling ability that most MC’s would die for.
He’s extremely passionate and expressive. His vocabulary is extensive, and his conviction is steadfast. When it comes to making conceptual albums, a lot of artists think it’s enough to just name a project something or mention the topic a few times on the record, and that counts.
THIS is the blueprint of how you handle a conceptual effort. Fuck it, in that respect, this shits all over Redman’s debut. As much of a classic as that album is, it too often struggles between wanting to be a thrilling Dr/Patient arc and a traditional groovy hip-hop album.
On this album, every one of the 13 tracks served a purpose. It’s all lyrically and emotionally focused on the bigger picture, and not once does it ever deviate from that point, and that’s why it’s elite!
I can’t lie. This thing BLEW ME AWAY. I had no idea what to expect going in, and I left speechless. This ain’t music for the club, but music for the soul! You can’t afford to sleep on this one!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 