Artist: Theo3
Album: Enticement
Tracklisting:
1. Clouds (w/ DJ Riccachet, prod. by The Audible Doctor)
2. That’s Why I Came (w/ DJ Grouch, prod. by Psycho Les)
3. Outlive, Outshine (prod. by SCAM)
4. In A Heartbeat (prod. by Phat Tony)
5. So Mind Your Bizness (prod. by SCAM)
Note:
It’s amazing what you can do with a mere five tracks. Theo3 was an unknown emcee to me prior to three months ago. Now, with just the work of those five tracks, his music and sound is ingrained in my mind. That’s what we shall call a deep impact.
If one is just prone to looking at guest spots or production credits, the first thing they will see is Psycho Les and The Audible Doctor lacing Theo3 with beats. That should create some excitement in any hip hop head worth his or her salt. Those are some heavy hitters by any standards. Les in particular, because you just don’t hear much from him these days. But I will go on record and say that of the two beats by the stalwarts, neither of them were the best on the project. For my money, SCAM, with his production on Outlive, Outshine was the one that you will remember the most with a GREAT use of sampling that will have you repeating the chorus throughout your day. But the production doesn’t make or break this album. It is the skill level of Theo3 that should lead the parade of accolades. On every cut, regardless of who laced the beat, he creates layer upon layer of dope flow and rhyme.
Case in point, on the track Clouds, while The Audible Doctor gives the track a very relaxed and airy vibe, Theo3 is providing distinction with his verbal prowess declaring: Every syllable’s a slap to the competition. And that declaration really stands tried and true throughout Enticement. While Kendrick Lamar gave everyone an outright challenge in his song Control, Theo3, albeit less blatantly, sets the bar high with a skill set that comes natural to him. I mean how many emcees are going to reference the Kyoto Protocol in a rhyme in a way that makes sense? Better yet, how many listeners heard that clever line and knew what it meant? Study up people.
But Clouds is just an introduction into Theo3’s capabilities. If you really want to some material to sink your teeth into, make sure you check out his track, In A Heartbeat. Phat Tony delivers with a beat that is meant to take a back seat to the rhymes but still sound fresh. This is one of those tracks where the emcee just says: “to hell with a chorus” and Theo3 just leaves a heap of dope wordplay in his wake. He’s not just jumbling words from the thesaurus and dictionary either. He is blending every phrase in a cohesive way. For instance:
I got bars like you’re watching Cliff and Norm again…
or
I’m tryin to lead a legacy that Jordan left, you’re JR Smith your shooting til your short of <breath>
or how about this?
I’d rather lift up people in a fragile mood, than reinforce the confident masses trying to grab the loot
I could go through each track and over analyze the word play again and again. But I am not trying to provide you with the cliff notes to Enticement. It is an arrangement that you must hear in it’s entirety. All of the tracks are steepened with outstanding lyricism backed by powerful beats by some known and lesser known producers. The most important thing I have to impart is that Theo3’s abilities are a direct reflection of a talent that no one can teach and an educated (or well read) mind that is receptive. The combination has yielded superlative results with this EP. Don’t you agree?
Hip Hop Dependency 