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Outerspace
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Blood And Ashes
Babygrande Records
Release: 7/27/2004
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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This is the debut record from Philly's Outerspace, even though the duo has been around since the early 90's. Blood And Ashes is an impressive introduction from MCs Planetary and Crypt the Warchild. The beats are all first-rate and the verses are as tight as White House security. The sound is as smooth as anything else you'd find out there, courtesy of executive producer Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks.
This is a tough affair which in a lot of areas sounds like Nas. The lyrics are about life on the street while the beats have the diversity of Illmatic and the like. Gritty and grimy are words of the set.
The two MCs both have a confident style that work well together. You don't get the feeling that they're trying to outdo the other but rather creating a seamless package.
The production is far from lacking with such luminaries as 7L, Beyonder, Panik from the Molemen, and Celph Titled all dropping some solid beats and keeping everything cranking without the zzzz factor.
The best cut is "The Revolution" with a memorable chorus and verse by Celph Titled. The following cut, "Cutthroats," makes a case for the spotlight too, however, with its Spanish flavor. Nice guitar on this one and the flows are spot-on. Also of note is "Top Shelf," which features Sabat X from Brand Nubian on an inspired verse. "Fire and Ice" has some nice production from 7L. One of the strongest cuts is the set closer, "Angels of Death," which has some strong verses riding over a sample of an Alan Parsons' song.
Outerspace came to be from the two childhood friends who are students of Jedi Mind Tricks. They released their first single in 1998 and EP the following year, with subsequent years yielding more singles.
This is an excellent record that deserves shelf space with any of the other great hip-hop releases of the past year. Let's hope it won't take so long for their follow-up. |
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