Category: EP

Artist: A. Sesay

Album: A Special EP

Source: Bandcamp

Tracklisting:

1. Intro (ft. Muggsy Malone)
2. We Want In (ft. Chris DeShield, D.O.E. C.I.G.A.P.O.M., Mannrock, K-Beta, Wordsmith, Adversary & Born Undadogz)
3. Don’t Leave Me Lonely (ft. Dagga and Mannrock)
4. Sinking With The Ship (ft. D.O.E. C.I.G.A.P.O.M., Adversary, and Napoleon Da Legend)
5. If Love Was There (Interlude) (ft. Infearion)
6. If Love Was There (ft. Dave East, Mic Legacy, Benji, and DJ Dublee)
7. You Don’t Know Me Dog (ft. Dagga, Muggsy Malone, D.O.E. C.I.G.A.P.O.M., Bear Witnez)
8. Can’t Hold Me Down (ft. Erika Anderson, Dave East, Karnagie, and Dagga)
9. All In Stride (ft. JNesmuziq and Wordsmith)

Note:

A Special EP is one of the hidden gems of 2010.  There has not been much talk of this EP in blogging circles as far as I can tell so it certainly has gone under the radar as it were.    Regardless, of it not being picked up on by the masses, A. Sesay has done an incredible job producing the entire EP.  The DMV area has been a hot bed of hip hop activity lately and A. Sesay keeps the area on the front burner with this release.

Not only does the EP showcase A. Sesay’s production talents but it also gives other artists to share their verbal talents with the listener.  One emcee in particular that I thought was incredibly dope was D.O.E. C.I.G.A.P.O.M.  His verse on Sinking With The Ship was stellar.  It made check out his own Bandcamp page to listen to his album, Culture Shock 2012 AD.  That’s dope in it’s own right.

So what’s A. Sesay’s style?  I will call it understated.   He doesn’t “over-produce” a track.  On the posse cut, We Want In,  he keeps the beat crisp over organ instrumentation.  He sneaks the bass drum in and then all the sudden you are just nodding your head to a complete banger.  These emcees assassinate the track.  It really is dope to hear the instrumentation and the emcees come together so flawlessly.

On Don’t You Leave Me Lonely, the concept is very similar except that A. Sesay keeps it more mellow and uses a beautiful vocal sample that haunts the track.  Dagga and Mannrock both show keen ability to rock the track.  Again the fusion between emcee and producer is seamless.  This track is one of my favorites though I would have a hard time picking from the litter.

Sinking With The Ship, is the cut that I posted the video for earlier.   This cut is the one everyone should be talking about.  It’s bound to blow. The  beat and another incredible vocal sample lead the way as the emcees talk about developing unity in the hip hop game.   It addresses the way that emcees are prone to tearing each other down.  It’s a positive anthem for how hip hop should be done.  I do not take the word anthem lightly by the way.

By the time this EP is over with you should have developed a certain appreciation for what A. Sesay does behind the boards and what the DMV area talent is capable of.  So enjoy this hidden gem, and then spread the word.