Search - Eyedea & Abilities :: First Born

It's time to clean MTV outta your ears

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 07/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is REAL hip-hop. None of that MTV bling bling - you're only a baller if you got a Bentley CRAP. I purchased First Born after hearing the genius of their 2004 release - E & A. I respect this duo even more after hearing the diversity between the two albums. It is simply amazing. Eyedea is one of the most outspoken egotistical B-Boys I have ever heard; and at 22 years of age, he has accomplished a lot. Mowing down MCs at nearly ever DJ battle he has competed in. He definitely has the skills to back up what he's preaching. Abilities compliments Eyedea perfectly, with his landscapes of unique rhythms and sounds. Battling is also one of Abilities strong points. This duo is untouchable when you realize that all this explosive sound is made from just two techs and a mic. These guys are full of potential and I am already betting that their next album will be a masterpiece along with their others."

Indie Hip-Hop from the slightly dark side.

johnnystarfish | My basement, Columbus, Ohio, USA | 04/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like many I first saw Eyedea in the 2000 Blaze Battle, where he owned every other emcee that went against him. Since then I have found some bootleg live tracks and battles online which I have enjoyed. Recently I saw Eyedea perform live (and kill) in my home town of Columbus Ohio and I picked up a copy of "First Born."What may at first be offsetting to those who have heard Eyedea before is that this is not in any way, shape, or form a battle CD. The lyrical material is not only incredibly clever and a great exsample of Eyedea's talent, but the subject matter is in most places heartfelt and challenges the mind of the listener. In his rhymes one can hear traces of Del the Funky Homosapian, Redman, and The Guru, but with what he takes from these obvious influences his style is all his own. Abilities' production, despite much criticism I feel is better than 99% of hip-hop albums out there. I believe that he is only criticised because his music does not fit into the box that most hip-hop producers work in. His music, which has been called boring I feel is more interesting than any other indie-rap album I've heard in the past few years. Many of the beats are ambient and dark, and provide a perfect backdrop for eyedea's often dark flows. My main criticism of this album is that sometimes Eyedea gets lost in his purpose of provoking thoughts in his listeners that in some places one would notice him possibly trying a little too hard, and reaching for something that isn't there. Also I think that in his being lost in his purpose he may also go over the listeners heads, which might be what he's trying to do anyway.In conclusion I highly recomend this album, and I have given it four stars because it falls just short of being a masterpiece. Other similar Indie hip-hop artists that you may want to check out if you are into this album are Adeem, Brother Ali, Aesop Rock, Mars Ill, and Mosab. Get it... Just Get it bub."

First Born

Adam P Boots | Valley Village, CA United States | 01/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"FIrst of all, the tracklisting for First Born always seems screwed up. There are more tracks than 15 on this album and every CDDB in the world seems to put Void (internal theory) as the song that "Big Shots" actually is.



Aside from that annoyance, this album is damn good. It's one of the better hip hop albums that's come out in the last 10 years, and also one that's kind of difficult to find any more (without some digging).



The problem with this album (if it's a problem) is that most people tend to find hip hop that's on the radio, and this will never ever make it there. If it does, I'll be amazingly impressed, but... I don't see it happening. Eyedea is a master of wordplay and has written some great songs (Birth of A Fish and Big Shots are my favorite tracks on here), but has written some toungue twisters/riddles that don't fit the "standard stereotype" of hip hop. (I really like On This I Stand, too)



The other thing about this album is that it's the first of Eyedea & Abilities records to the public, and in comparison to The Many Faces Of Oliver Hart or E&A day, this seems a little... young. It's really good, but it's as if they hadn't polished their style quite yet and were "still searching". Part of this concept is what makes this album great, though as they made some more "standard" tracks on this album and it turned out to be a fantastic purchase.



If you're a fan of anything Rhymesayers or "Underground" hip hop, this is an album you should own.

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