Artist: Big O
Album: The Delegation
Source: Artist
Tracklisting:
1. Grand Entrance
2. Signal Your Team
3. I Rep Myself
4. AnyThing Goes
5. Love Ain’t The Same
6. Class By Myself
7. Let’s Go
8. Make Music 4
9. No Compassion
10. On My Mind
11. Gotta Keep At It
12. 24-7-365
Note:
The best part about running this blog is putting people on to new and under appreciated talent. That segues perfectly into introducing you all (once again) to Big O. He’s repping out of Cleveland, Ohio and really giving the city a face for it’s contribution to the independent hip hop scene.
The Delegation is a precursor to his album, Road Warriors, dropping on May 1st. What you will hear when you listen to this joint is some hard hitting production and Big O’s in-your-face delivery. This short project is sure to knock some sense into your speakers whether at home or in the ride.
My favorite track on this short but sweet album is Anything Goes which features the production stylings of The SoundTeckz. The beat is pretty simple but features good depth of sound and when paired with Big O’s bravado behind the mic, it all comes together perfectly. Big O’s voice is forceful and has a commanding presence which is what drew me to this artist in the first place.
Another great track from this album is Class By Myself. The production uses a tweaked funk guitar riff and a vocal sample that gives this track a soulful vibe. We owe these rhythms to Skeptikal. Big O doesn’t tone down his vocals on this track though. He brings his delivery tough, if not tougher, than the aforementioned joint. He goes for the jugular with every bar he delivers.
The last track that I feel brings out the best of Big O is the last one, 24-7-365. The man hustles his music business until the very end. This track too uses a soulful sample to start the track out but then soon goes into some more traditional boom bap. I like how the production steps up a few keys. It’s an interesting blend between two musical styles. One of the things you can tell about Big O from his verses, is that he is a man who appreciates his hip hop history:
This is what we live, breathe, walk, talk, we define it / It’s been in my calling since I heard Criminal Minded.
When you hear, The Delegation that you are not dealing with a new jack. You may not have heard of him until now but you have to recognize that hip hop is alive and well in the Buckeye state after listening to the projec. Be on the lookout for his new album out in early May.
Hip Hop Dependency 