Halfabrick & Alterbeats – Revolutionary Tactics Vol. 2 (2011)

Artist: Halfabrick & Alterbeats

Album: Revolutionary Tactics Vol. 2

Source:  Absouljah Twitter

Tracklisting:

1. Intro Bars (ft. DJ Modesty)
2. Mott Aveness (ft. Spicco and Absouljah)
3. Rebel G You
4. Real Connotations (ft. DJ 456)
5. Addicted
6. Verses In The City Of Light (Bonus Cut)

Note:

I have a rule of thumb, if someone whose music I currently like, recommends something else that I may not have heard, I check it out.  This is how I find a lot of rare gems and dope tracks.  I monitor my Twitter timeline hoping to find that diamond in the rough.  Well this time that gem comes courtesy of The Absouljah.

Halfabrick continues the recent trend of extremely dope five to six track EPs that I’ve been listening to with Revolutionary Tactics Vol 2. It is produced entirely by Alterbeats.   What makes this release dope is simple.  Each of these tracks are bangers. The whole sound is reminiscent of Tragedy Khadafi circa 1996.  Halfabrick has this way of wording things that keeps him close to the street, without dumbing it down. If you want to listen to some grimey hip hop this release is definitely for you.

IntroBars brings you into the project without any hesitation.  Instead of having an instrumental or merely talking on an intro, Halfabrick drops some heavy bars .   This Alterbeats production, coupled with the turntabalism of DJ Modesty, creates a true banger.  The drums hit incredibly hard and the synth vibrating in the background kept my head nodding for three minutes.   This is what an intro is meant to be!

Mott Aveness features Halfabrick’s comrade, and one of my personal favorite emcees, Absouljah.  On this track, Alterbeats utilizes horn samples to perfection.  The beat still knocks like the previous track, but it’s certainly a distinct sound from the former.  I like the contrast of Absouljah and Halfabrick on the mic.  Halfabrick definitely has a more aggressive style, while Absouljah  has a more laid back delivery and a deeper voice. The two, along with Spicco, play off each other well to give this track a lot of depth.

The track, Addicted, has Alterbeats tailoring his production one more time by adding some choppy strings to the mix.  They are very staccato and give another dimension of sound to the project.  It’s hard to get a handle on a quotable from Halfabrick because his style is based on flow and assonance rather than punchlines and metaphors.  It’s really hard to construct flow into text, but check these bars on for size:

…I rap with an unforseen passion / My actions / Used to keep the crackers laughin’ /Now I attack the apparatus / Like the Bastille, France…

Props for the French Revolution reference!

All in all, Halfabrick is reminiscent of an artist from the Golden Era of hip hop.  His flow is not over complex but it’s extremely consistent and clever.   I think fans of Cormega, Mobb Deep, and Tragey Khadafi can definitely appreciate Halfabrick’s style.  He’s dropping lyrics that were crafted in the streets but will appeal to a wider audience.   Revolutionary Tactics Vol. 2 is something you need to turn up in the car and ride to.

You can check out the first volume  HERE (on Itunes) and his mixtape from 2009, Street Analyst is for FREE DOWNLOAD.  Click the pic to download the current project.