Review: Fresh Daily | The Gorgeous Killer in Crimes of Passion

High Water Music (2009)
By CHRIS FARAONE  |  August 10, 2009
4.0 4.0 Stars

09081_fresh_main

Despite yielding at least half of contemporary hip-hop's subterranean and major-label kingpins, the New York underground is often overlooked when it comes time to dole out props. Perhaps because the cats currently emerging from the downtown scene — from Fresh Daily and P. Casso to more-established acts like Mickey Factz and 88-Keys — are only now dropping full-lengths on the universal dome.

Daily's debut perfectly represents New York's new crop, as it packs significant substance, sounds, and even songs about blouse-stretching funbags ("Two in the Shirt") and Tecmo Bowl nostalgia ("Video Gamin'"). Besides having the cleverest handle in the game, Daily is the master of a vast style spectrum.

The 2 Hungry Bros–produced "Supaspectacular" marries his intricate verbal structure to pure piano-laden nectar; "Bullet Tooth Tony" with Cool Calm Pete brings compelling narrative; the DJ Spinna–spun "Starter Pistol" with Homeboy Sandman is phonetic fornication at its finest. A disc with this much range is less common than humility in modern rap music; the Brooklyn MC even gets serious on the tearful "Gutterman," and he wraps up something lovely on the Illmind-produced title-track encore. Gather 'round, kiddies who were born post-Illmatic — this is how you make a classic rap album.

Related: Review: The Roots of Hip-Hop, The Big Hurt: Billboard Top Hip-Hop and R and B songs, Rapper Sam Adams now on tap, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Entertainment, Hip-Hop and Rap, Music,  More more >
| More


Most Popular
ARTICLES BY CHRIS FARAONE
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   THE TRIALS OF NADIA NAFFE  |  March 04, 2013
    Young, attractive, ambitious, conservative, and black, Nadia Naffe should have been a right-wing operative’s dream.
  •   HIP-HOP TRIVIA GROWS UP  |  February 26, 2013
    In their fourth year of operation, the Hip-Hop Trivia squad is finally taking the night (somewhat) seriously.
  •   OCCUPY DENIED DAY IN COURT  |  February 22, 2013
    It took more than a year for Suffolk County prosecutors to come to their senses.
  •   CZARFACE SOARS ABOVE THE CLOUDS  |  February 11, 2013
    This week 7LES and Inspectah Deck drop Czarface , a full-length work of adventurous genius revolving around a metal-clad protagonist who feeds on destruction.
  •   THE BPD ADDS INSULT TO INJURY  |  February 05, 2013
    At times, this kind of decision makes you wonder whether the BPD is saving its best awards for officers who've been involved in the death of civilians.

 See all articles by: CHRIS FARAONE