Many of Hip Hop’s true-school emcees and producers frequently discuss the love received in Europe and Asia for the kind of music oft ignored in the domestic mainstream. French producer and DXnext alum Dela [click to read] shows that is his first official release, Changes Of Atmosphere. The work, led by two mixtapes (one free and one retail) [click to listen] features artists like Large Professor [click to read] and Blu [click to read], finds a homogenous blend of American talent and French talent, in what may be the most comprehensive and artful work to ever cross the francophone language line, with fuzzed out beats, hard drums and crisp scratches.
As well as State-side peers Marco Polo, Domingo or Presto, Dela has a knack for taking a sample of emcees to speak over his beats with an album’s consistency. With the exception of 2007’s “Holy Moly,” Talib Kweli [click to read] hasn’t sounded as nostalgic as he does on “Long Life” [click to listen]. With the kind of Rawkus-era chorus some fans long for, Dela has a way of existing in his own vacuum with tracks, largely geared towards timeless life experiences rather than the hear and now’s. Another highlight is Elzhi‘s [click to read] “My Nigga,” one of the better dedications from a man to a woman, platonically, across gender lines. Much-like his hometown peer Royce Da 5’9″s “My Friend” [click to read] years ago, the song leaves room to take on many meanings. The song remains street, but finds the Slum Village emcee utilizing the kind of clever concepts that made his own 2008 album such a standout.
Not all tracks connect completely though. While Naledge [click to read] connects well to the jazzy beat, the simile-driven verses, combined with a cheap chorus make “It Is What It Is” sound microwaved, amidst a timeless album. “How To Fish,” by emcee Reach, touches on a personal family story, but also suffers from a half-baked chorus. Unlike Jake One‘s seasoned choruses on White Van Music [click ot read], Dela‘s weakest link, are the rapped bridges of his songs. Still, this weakness is covered up on efforts like J-Live’s [click to read] “I Say Peace” and the EPMD scratch creation on Large Professor‘s “Chill,” where Dela appears to be a veteran.
Changes of Atmosphere is a change indeed. This project presents a stage for an assortment of rappers to exercise concepts over some of the jazziest, most layered beats heard in a while. Not since Tommy Tee or Nicolay [click to read] has an overseas producer made such a quality album, deserving of both recognition for its completeness, but also a name worthy of A&R departments major and independent alike.
