Pittsburgh is often
described as an open place in Hip Hop circles. West coast funk,
Midwest swing, southern bounce, and east coast grit all converge in
the west Pennsylvania city. Likewise, Steel City native son, DXnext alum Boaz
[click to read] draws on a nationwide well of inspiration for his debut album, The
Audio Biography. Mirroring his hometown’s diverse tastes, Boaz
lets trunk-rattling basslines, synthesized grind anthems, and
stomping beats gel with intimidating verses. It’s the classic trap of
trying to offer something for everyone, but with one exception: it
actually sounds good. Audio Biography is an organic mix of
styles anchored by a solid voice and direction. This isn’t a
hackneyed attempt at regional appeal; it’s a focused attempt to build
a sound fit for Boaz‘s style and story.
Boaz always keeps his pulse at cool, sounding just as comfortable on the southern-friendly radio tunes and New York-flavored album cuts. An
airy electronic beat backs his turn as a suave drug dealer on songs
like “Well Connected” and “H-U-S-T-L-E-R.” And while he’s more threatening at times, Boaz is equally heavy-on-bravado trading barbs with Sheek Louch for “Larimer to Yonkers.” The crashing beat gets a hard-nosed
verse from Sheek while Boaz stays hood and says, “I
ain’t waiting for royalties to pay for my lawyer fees / I break
down a couple things and sell them in quarter keys / ‘Cause the block is
just open season / The feds taking pictures of us, so we cheesin.”
Grounded in hood
chronicles, the lyrical content of Audio Biography is not as
diverse as its production. Based on the general theme of most songs,
Boaz‘s bio can be condensed to cold nights peddling
drugs and the warmth that being a snow salesman provides. It’s
a story that has been told several times before by more captivating
artists, but a small set of talented producers provide a distinct
angle for this retelling. Production duo SoulStarZmuseeQ
supply everything from high-pitched, space-age synths (“Gettin’
Mine”) to blaxploitation funk (“The Dopeman”). King
James II then adds to the mix by delivering a soul-inspired beat
for the reflective “Promised Land.” That musical range is
a crucial asset, providing the strong match necessary to make this
well-traveled path seem new.
Pittsburgh created
Boaz, and he attempts to return the favor by crafting a sound
representative of his hometown. But the Steel City rapper is still
defining himself as a man on Audio Biography. After all, the
tragic tale of a hustler is to struggle, prosper, and walk away or
ultimately fail. Boaz is in the prosper phase and showing
signs of his next move on “Promised Land” when he raps,
“I’m still religious/And instead of tearing down the
ghetto block, I should be building bridges.”
Audio Biography
is thus an early, unfinished memoir. There’s still plenty
of time for Boaz to determine which ending of the hustler’s
script he’ll follow. If he continues penning strong lines and
tapping into talented production resources, failure – at least
from a musical standpoint – seems highly unlikely.
