March 19, 2014

Dred Scott "Breakin' Combs" (The Source, 5/94)


"Lyrically, I can't pass an overall judgment on Dred Scott's style or skills. This is because his album displays so many different styles, with different levels of quality. Tracks like "Back In The Day," (a lyrical bio) "Duck Ya Head," and the "The Story," display perceptive narration at its best, using simple rhythm and insightful attention to detail. But on "Can't Hold It Back," his flow is borderline ruff 'n' rugged. At one point he even does a sing-song thing (similar to Ol' Dirty Bastard's flow) that's painful. Then on "Check The Vibe" the flow again switches to a subdued, jazzy, blase blah flow. Honestly, sometimes I couldn't figure out if it was the same person rapping. This was a problem on cuts where Dred Scott is joined by labelmate Tragedy, but whichever one was rapping, they freaked it so I guess that's cool. While versatility is dope, it can get disconcerting and disjointed. Musically, his self-produced beats are pretty fat, with quality basslines, sharp drums and catchy choruses ... I can't say that this album is a must have, but I can't really know it either. Dred Scott keeps it real but only time will tell whether he'll survive this rap game." - The Source, 5/94. Revisit it below...


You can read/save a copy of The Source's Breakin' Combs review below...