Rhymefest - Blue Collar Album Review

HHR Rating : Review rating 4
User Rating :

Rhymefest Blue Collar.jpg hip hop review Picture

OPTIONS

"Blue Collar", the highly anticipated debut album release from Chi-town native Rhymefest stems from the attention surrounding Fest when it was made public knowledge that he had been working closely with Kanye West and had contributed greatly to Kanye's previous material. The single "Brand New", featuring Kanye, was the single and brought Fest very much into the public domain.

Known for his lyrical content, delivery in terms of story telling and most importantly rhyming ability, Fest does nothing to disappoint and delivers all three factors well. "Tell a Story" encapsulates the story telling skills he posesses as he takes you on a personal journey.

The album also features an array of talent in terms of collaborations. These include the renound Kanye West, the late ODB and also Q-Tip to name a few. Standout tracks include but are not limited to the single "Brand New", "Chicago Rillas" & "Dynomite". Kanye makes a further appearance on "More", another well balanced and well produced track.

On a similar level to Kanye's albums, the production on "Blue Collar" remains consistent and of a high standard throughout. The ODB collaboration is another attempt at an infectious hook and whilst it may not be the best track on the album, the lyrical delivery never slips and the album remains, on the whole, infectious and entertaining.

The overall vibe of the album would be highly energetic, high tempo and comparable, in many respects, to co-producer's first two releases - catchy hooks, fast paced and an entertaining listen, with very few 'skippable' tracks. It can be argued that "Blue Collar" is greater in term of delivery as Fest can certainly ride on any beat and holds enough content to compliment the production which parallels the album.

Rhymefest is surely heading in the right direction, and if he can follow in Kanye's footsteps it would be no travesty to the hip hop genre. Although a hard act to follow, Rhymefest solidifies himself in the game and stamps his own mark and presence in an impressive debut album.