Skyzoo & Antman Wonder – “An Ode To Reasonable Doubt” (Mixtape Review) DX Consensus: “Free Album (the highest possible praise for a mixtape)”
Reasonable Doubt is arguably one of the best Hip-Hop albums of all-time. While Jay Z has recently ranked it as his best album, its overall influence on the game has been recognized and acknowledged. Not only did it help in launching the career of one of the best to ever do it, but it has inspired several emcees who have come after, among those is Skyzoo. “An Ode to Reasonable Doubt” finds Skyzoo paying homage to Shawn Carter’s classic, and the results are sure to impress both fans of Reasonable Doubt, and long-time Skyzoo fans alike.
First, to address the clear elephant in the room: yes, the concept of live instrumentation-based recreation of a New York Hip Hop classic has been done before. While the overall concept behind Elzhi’s “Elmatic” and Skyzoo’s “An Ode to Reasonable Doubt” seem identical, one listen to both projects and the difference in the handling of the concept is clear. Skyzoo has ripped the plot line of Reasonable Doubt away from the drug game—with all its ups and downs—and placed it in the world of an up and coming emcee, thus, reinforcing the “Rap Game/Crack Game” metaphor Jay would break down on his following album. Sky’s ability to keep up the metaphor throughout the project is what makes “AOTRD” special. While we’ve heard the comparison several times, Skyzoo not only breaks it down, but he does it with his story all within the structure of a Hip Hop classic.
While Skyzoo’s “An Ode To Reasonable Doubt” doesn’t revolve around the drug game, it still exists in Brooklyn. Sky is still able to paint the desperation to succeed, the emotions he deals with in the struggle to do so, and the reaction of others in that same struggle. On “Praying Against D’evils,” Skyzoo raps, “Whoever said the speakers was the easy way out, couldn’t understand the mechanics / And these faggot ass industry folk, granted / Nine to five is how you survive, but my moms had two jobs / So for her, nine to five was five to nine / My spirit broke, and my vision altered, ‘cause you know how visions go / It’s either pray to God, or Shawn Cor-ey…” While Jay worshipped legendary gangsters on the original material, Sky references Jay and his success throughout “AOTRD” as the goal.
Reasonable Doubt’s posse cut, “Bring it On” is recreated in the form of “Thinking You Can Hang,” with Sky, Torae, and Sha Stimuli replacing Jay Z, Sauce Money, and Jaz-O. This track alone contains enough quotables for an album. While this recreation compares favorably, something is lost in translation when “Coming of Age” becomes “Conversing on a Come-Up.” The same can be said for the conversion of “Regrets” to “The Truth About Regrets.” Part of the problem with remakes of classics is no matter how well you remake the tracks, you can’t create the nostalgia attached to the originals. While this is felt across the project, it’s especially with the track which could be viewed as launching “The Dynasty” and the epic closeout to Jay’s debut.
With “An Ode to Reasonable Doubt,” Skyzoo does an amazing job of paying homage to a classic record that launched the career of one of the greatest to ever do it, all while telling his story of climbing up within the Rap game. His ability to parallel ascensions makes “AOTRD” more than just live instrumentation remakes of someone else’s songs, it tells Skyzoo’s story, all while bringing the grand tales of Reasonable Doubt down to a level a lot closer to that of most of it’s listeners. While the subject matter may not hold everyone’s interest the same, the feat of creating “An Ode to Reasonable Doubt” has to be respected.
Decent. Not great. Not bad. His ability to pivot and create/nature his own themes is good point.
Solid but not even in the same stratosphere as Elzhi’s ELmatic as Elzhi is a much doper MC (imo) and the live instrumentation is better on Elmatic. Skyzoo is a dope MC, but not great imo. ELmatic is one of the best projects period of the last decade! Can’t wait for his new album to finally drop! Elzhi and Diabolic both in 2014 aka my 2 fav MCs of the last 5-10 years!
Is “doper” even a word?
Hang it up, Skyzoo, you’re fucking horrible on the mic and licking Shawn Carter’s ass like this is the lamest shit imaginable. Most boring Brooklyn MC ever, next to Maino though granted, it’s an insult to humanity to consider that retard a ‘musician.’
fuck nigga
SKY SPITS FRISBEES OVER YOUR HEAD
Pay no attention to trolls. This is what they do for a living.
DOPE
as good as Hovs
bahaha
HIPHOP
Skyzoo has three fans; which is three more than he deserves for his performance on the mic. The guy isn’t stupid but he’s painfully dull, trite and literal. He’d be a better journalist of perhaps some kid of college professor than “entertainer”– hah hah– or artist.
wack wack wack
I think it is dope
Man….rippin a guy for being literal and intelligent?
Anonymous must be 12 yrs old.
Hey kid….we strive as people for these things.
When a man/woman can rap and speak intelligently we call them ARTISTS!! Three fans or not!!
Another thing…hip hop is the journalism of the streets!!
Find you’re ipod mini, and keep listening to Laffy Taffy…fool.
Fuck you, asswipe. Skysnooze had me falling asleep. I never heard another nigga riding somebody’s nuts so hard since Elmatic.
Been running this back non-stop. Sky has been on fire since The Great Debater. Dope shit.
Skyzoo’s whole career = Jay Z karaoke.
Nobody cares.
Just mad because my shit is critically acclaimed. Fuck you doing with your life, bitch? I’m living my dream.
That ain’t the real Skyzoo. I disagree with you, but you’re entitled to your opinion.
its the same troll over and over again, believe.
Emotional tracks, I can’t get enough of this! A real tribute to the great Sean Carter. I’d like to do somehting similar to my own idols, one day!
People who hate on this didn’t listen or can’t even begin to comprehend how complex Skyzoo’s lyrics are…
where can i download
I’m an orginal NY’er, I’m a life long Hov Fan, Long time Sky fan (8 years at least), and I loved Elmatic. To me, this is hip hop perfection. If you take it as anything other than homage, you wont appreciate the greatness of the project. The Live beats are crazy, the bars are crazy, the composition is crazy. I listened to this only for a week straight. I dont get into hater comments but get off Hov’s dick for 5 minutes and appreciate other rappers that produce quality product. Sky is one of the best and most slept on MCs in the game.
This is dope!!!
The only thing i didn’t like about sky was his debut The salvation even though it had joints!
This is my first time listening to Skyzoo, dopeness is all I can say. If yall hate then that means yall wish yall wouldve did this type of shit. My vote 5 mics because of the interpretation and the live instruments
SLEPT ON MIXTAPE AND JAY SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGED LIKE DID NIPPSEY!!!
I just want to say that for those who are sleeping on Skyzoo…. Yall need to wake up…. Its pretty sad that a lot might not get it wen Zoo raps but its only cuz the form of music today is so Dumb down that for those that font get it is because of they are so far Dumbed down…. KEEP UP THE GUD WORK SKYZOO!! ***
This project is dam near flawless, it is what its supposed to be. SK is not a 1 dimensional MC, AOTRD is his narrator style, its more about the words than anything. If u wanna hear SK dumb out wit crazy bars an flo’s he got other projects like Great Debater, Live from the Tape Deck, Power of Words
SKYZOO is prolly the only MC that could pull this off this nicely. The production and features are surprisingly dope. Antman Wonder is a beast for this, SKYZOO tells his story thru Hov’s influence and lyrics on some perfection. I f with it heavy.
This is dope af, cant wait for Barrel Brothers. Skyzoo is the truth!
Not a fan of remakes but Skyzoo put in work on this. Got to rewind it a few times to take it all in. But then again Skyzoo is well known for his replay value. One of my fav joints for 2013.
Skyzoo went somewhere else wit this, this is the dopeness.