I had anticipated Soul Purpose landing in my mailbox, so when it came early, I was more than pleased. Some people make the mistake of expecting too much for an album, then writing a scathing review based on their own disappointment. That being said, ScholarMan's "Soul Purpose" is nothing but a success, filled with incredible flow, lyricism, and a message that defies the ones conveyed by his contemporary counterparts.
From the very first cut, "Still Standing", Scholar let's us know that "Real Hip-Hop is what I'm demanding", and spits verbal flame over a jazzy horn loop, and unique drums. He gets nasty on the second verse, showcasing his obvious skill, starting off with : "I rhyme with deep impact, complexity to syntax, I'm the General MC to Lieutenant".
Through the CD, Scholar helps the listener forget that he's primarily rhyming over beat loops, with his impactful lyricism, and overall style on the mic. (I'm sure it helps that he's also very good at picking samples). Also, I feel he is adept at writing hooks that don't take away from the track, as is the case with most Underground emcees that are all lyrics, and zero listenability. Speaking of listenability, SM gets a pure 9 on the production scale from a runthrough alone, as even the minimalist tracks are top notch ear candy.
One of these such tracks is "Dreams", where Scholar pitch shift tempo loop and kicks are extremely infectious, and knowing that he refuses to slack with his pen game is always an added bonus. However, even this song takes a backseat to what I feel is the highlight of the album, "Hood Stories Volume 2", A vivid short collection of street tales, presented to us in amazing fashion.
"Took the cash and ran, thug life, cash and vans, drove off a tinted van, quick like a minute man, Chris think he heard sirens, he tried to run out, see marks where they spun out, neighbors wouldn't come out. Instead, if was the boys in blue, lookin for the dudes in black, Chris got on grey slacks, but regardless he's fuckin black. "FREEZE", get on the goddamn ground, one move I'll lay ya down, nice and easy now.... They took Chris downtown.. wrong place wrong time the truth cannot be found".
Another album Gem is "Correct-ION", SM's vicious call to arms for everyone to stand up for our liberty as people, and as human beings. The rise strings accompany his message admirably, as he gets real on the listener, spitting "Ready for the warfare, fightin for the welfare.. of my family, but theres limited healthcare". Truth exposed through music is the best kind, and this is what Scholar does best.
Keeping a message in your music while not boring the average listener out of their skull, and not alienating the UG elitists is a tough task, and rarely is it accomplished, but I feel that "Soul Purpose" should be put into those ranks, as it is a nearly seamless blend of artistry, mixed with great production, and lyricism with depth. You really can't ask for more.
Favorite Tracks:Dreams, Cool Out, Hood Stories Pt.2 What to do (Buy/Try/Frisbee):Buy.
