by: Sun-J
Tom Shimura AKA Asia Born AKA Lyrics Born. From Soulsides Collective, to the now quickly surging Quannum indie label. Shimura has seen it all. A loyal artist on a once withering label, the man now known as Lyrics Born has had his music pigeonholed for quite some time, but the time as come, his time has come. Already heralded as on of the years' dopest independent rap record to surface, Later That Day is an introspective look into the emotions of Shimura over soulful, buzz-laden instrumentals. The raspy voiced, boisterous emcee, spits eloquently and efficiently. His mellow demeanor hides how he expedites syllables which could pace hummingbird beats. Try and vicariously reproduce his lyrics and you will see the difficulty. Later That Day evokes a 1970's vive of Mario Van Peebles with its syncopated bass lines, juggernaut guitar loops, and scorching female back up vocals primarily courtesy of soul singer, Jayo Velarde. To describe Shimura's flow is difficult. He is a combination of flavors. The Bay Area native is a melting pot of Common, Talib Kweli, and Gift of Gab. With production done by DJ Shadow, Chef XL, and Shimura himself, the record is a college radio station fix.
"Rise and Shine," is an inspiring song featuring Velarde about oppression and having the world on your shoulders. "Love me So Bad," is a reggae number and "The Last Trumpet," is a political record addressing the state of the nation. "Pack Up," is a boastful attempt to place the commercial masses in their basements utilizing ironic, subtle humor; "You sissy ass groups afraid to say the fucking f-word...," over a rock riff beat. "Do That There," was produced by Cut Chemist originally for J5, and is party ready for b-boys with its blaring tones and timed scratches. "One Session," featuring The Altered Egos is equipped with a sick electronic bass. "Stop Complaining," featuring Tommy Guerrero is a realization song, and shows that we are all victims to our own self loathing and capacity for imagination. Though the cuts are concrete, the interludes are somewhat of a pesky tease. "Cold Call," with Gift of Gab features a drilling beat which is failed to be utilized amidst pointless four minute phone conversation between LB and Blackaliscious' vocal half.
The album is strong, and the difficult points are minimal. Lyrics Born who demolished tracks for Lifesavas, Tommy Guerrero and Blackaliscious makes no exception on this record. This joint is one for the 'heads.
Share
|
|
