Over the last decade Hip Hop has certainly become a lucrative business, a fact that is especially true with regard to rap music. Not surprisingly, everyone and their dog wants a piece of this pie, and as a result new rap groups have been popping up a dime a dozen. Considering that most emcees barely stop short of brandishing street authenticity on their name tags, can a freshman group that goes by the moniker Crimewave hope to stand out from the crowd? After taking in the group’s debut album ‘Scripture Won: The Beginning Of…‘I believe the answer to that question is yes.
True to their name Crimewave do indeed provide numerous gritty street tales from “Think Big” to “Certified Killaz,” and “Johnny.” The latter, produced by The Alchemist, presents a dark depiction of the fate that awaits those who snitch on their partners in crime. However, just when it seems that Crimewave is another bunch of mic snatching thugs they pull a 180 and reveal their sensitive side with a delivery similar to that of Dead Prez. “Don’t Talk About Love” is perhaps one of the greatest rap love songs of all time as a story of love, both learned and lost is told ending with the man feeling the emotional loss. Things get philosophical on the subtle but powerful “Opium Thoughts.” On this track the emcee uses a unique rhyme scheme, masterful timing, and a flow that will leave lyricists envious. The subject matter is deep, for example: ‘knowledge is power/power is in numbers/unite to get the knowledge that was taken from us’ but after repeated listens the brilliance of this track is undeniable. Reminiscing on past days is the tune in the Psycho Les (of the Beatnuts) produced “Hard Times.” In addition to Psycho Les and The Alchemist notable underground beat makers Buckwild (of D.I.T.C.) and V.I.C. (of the Ghetto Pros) also provide solid contributions behind the boards.
Although the quality of lyricism and production ranges dramatically on Scripture Won from the lows of “Tell Me” and “Foreign Lands” to the highs of the aforementioned songs the impecability of the good tracks is too great to pass up. Crimewave’s ‘Scripture Won‘ deserves to be added to any rap library.
