The feel good album of the year
Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 05/02/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As the cover and title indicates, expect to have some good clean fun on this outing with Big Jess; half of the Minneapolis' underground rap duo Unknown Prophets. Unlike his other half, Mad Son, Big Jess push's the positivity vibe much further. His flow is bouncy, confident, clear-cut and unmistakable. This album is immediately accessible. His flow is easy to understand, the beats are minimal, and the production is great. You'll find yourself nodding your head through the entirety of it's length. The positive vibe will keep you coming back for more action.
I must say, I saw the Unknown Prophets play last Friday for the second time. Big Jess blows me away with his flow. He just has more presence on the mic than Mad Son. I would venture to say that this album is better than the Mad Son's solo album, and maybe even Unknown Prophets "World Premier". This one has got me coming back for more spins all the time.
Jess paints a clear picture of himself throughout the album. He's got some pretty tight flows, such as this one from "This Is Who I Am" - "I smoke marijuana but I've never done cocaine / and I'll never overdose like Kurt Cobain". I like this one from "Can You Believe?" quite a bit too - "...we can take a ride in my Testarossa / [Are you for real?] / No, I'm playin' / my wife would turn to Tyson and punch my face in / cut me off and lock my a** in the basement / then call Brad Pitt up to be my replacement." Ok, one more, from "What I'm Hopin' 4" - "Some say my rhymes are to simple and un-intellectual / but if you ask me dog, my flow is exceptional."
Overall, Big Jess is shining in full form here. This album isn't about complicated metaphors. These lyrics come from his heart and soul. I can best compare him too Slug from Atmosphere. They both seem to get very personal with the audience. This is just the beginning for Big Jess. I'm looking forward to another Unknown Prophets show. They are always entertaining!"
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1