Basick Sickness - Get Some
Usually, when I'm introduced to some local stuff, I tend to listen to it and try to keep the fact that “It’s just local” in the back of my mind, as if that should temper any disappointment or disagreement with the music. I was presented with Get Some by Basick Sickness (from Pittsburgh, PA) a couple days ago under the premise that I would listen to it and judge it honestly, giving it however much credit I felt it truly deserved.
We have the good and we have the bad. Let’s talk about the bad first.
Anything less than ultra-catchy or incredibly unique music in this genre (what I’m deeming “Rap/Metal”, as it’s heavier than your average Rap/Rock) is never received well. It’s a genre that demands you meld the two sounds flawlessly, as any disconnection between rhymes, flows, beat, and melody just causes it to all fall apart. It’s a tough game to play. You’re not permitted to take pre-canned beats and generic thug terms and release an album like most of the artists on the radio, the listeners are too demanding. The problem is that this album is full of those moments. There are whole songs that I may have already forgotten since listening to them. This is not a good thing.
Moving on, the lyrics are usually rather typical. This isn’t an issue as much as it sounds at first glance. The topic of the lyrics doesn’t matter nearly as much as the execution. Good flow and/or rhymes are far more important to the ear. Celph Titled is one of my favorite rap artists. He rarely talks about anything other than girls and guns, but what makes him special is his penchant for spitting punchlines and hilarious wordplay. I only caught a little bit of that on this album, and that’s to be expected. Good (not even incredible) lyrical execution is hard to come by. These guys did quite typically, not bad but certainly nothing to write home about.
I can’t wait anymore. Let’s talk about the good. I need to set the stage for the rest of this review though…
On track four, Horns Up, I had gotten this crazy idea in my head that I had heard all that Basick Sickness had to offer. Then the fifth track, Everybody, got a raised eyebrow. A beat that built up, broke down, and had more to offer than the previous tracks. It wasn’t my idea of a great track, but it made me realize that these guys might be on to something. The flows were pretty tight, and it held to the beat pretty well. They caught my attention again.
So, I’m back to being interested. A couple tracks later and I imagine it had all been a dream, and then Daydream (track nine) slapped me in the face. It’s a big departure from the rest of the album, but a huge success. It’s soft while still staying heavy, the melody plays innocently alongside the melancholic voice and rhythm of the rap. It stays real the entire time. This song is one of the major reasons why I’ll be keeping an eye on these guys in the future. I’m proud that this kind of stuff is coming out of Pittsburgh.
A couple other things beside Daydream shine brilliantly, and sing of incredible potential. Redemption got a double-take with its haunting beat and filtered, rolling rhymes that seem to become part of the beat in itself only to be punctuated by the hook that reminded me a little of Tool. Awesome track. The City’s beat left me wanting more, but only because it seemed like it was cut just short of awesome. A special mention about Someday because I almost fell out of my chair when the first verse came in with some of the tightest flow I’ve heard in a while, local or not. I thought I had found the definitive track of the album, but after the awesome hook, the track just deflated and I felt like listening to one of the previously mentioned tracks. Or maybe starting the track over again to listen to the first, rhyme-weaving verse again. Straight fire.
Look, if you’re into Bionic Jive or E-Town Concrete, give these guys a shot. There’s a decent amount to like if you’re willing to wade through the mediocre to get to it. I’d be lying if I said this was an awesome album and needs to be in everyone’s collection. I would not be lying if I said that a few of these tracks made it to my car stereo’s playlist. If Basick Sickness keeps this up, they’re going to be great. I originally intended to do this review and never bother with it again, but after hearing the best of this album, it’s definitely going to stay within my collection. It’ll be fun to show off when these guys get big.
- cant stop r0bVious
Download: Basick Sickness - Get Some (V2 Lame).rar
If you like the album and want more:
www.basicksickness.com
basickness@hotmail.com