Album Review: Edo G & Masta Ace- Arts & Entertainment
Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
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Right now in Hip-Hop, the standard practice seems to be two separate forces joining together in order to form a ‘supergroup’; and taking this new formula and running with it is none other than rhyme veterans Edo G and Masta Ace, with their project, Arts & Entertainment. [Click for interview]
With solid lyricism being the primary focus of their solo careers, they both spare no expense on this joint effort.
Through a supporting cast of Large Professor, Posdnuos (from De La Soul), Marsha Ambrosious, Chester French, and KRS-One, the two sports rivals set their differences aside all for the love of good authentic Hip-Hop.
Right from the beginning, their continuity is displayed on the playful sounds of ‘Hands High,’ and the ode to their supporters in ‘Fans’ (feat. Large Professor).
One of the strongest records comes in on the drum-heavy and up-tempo ‘A’s & E’s (This Is What We Do)’ (feat. Marsha Ambrosious).
Masta Ace and Edo G prove that conceptual songs still exist on ‘Little Young,’ as Edo G connects every rapper who has “little” in their name, while Masta Ace does the same with “young.”
The two lyricists stay the course with more solid material like, ‘Good Music’ (feat. Posdnuos), the Double O-produced ‘Pass The Mic’ (feat. KRS-One), the struggles of making life decisions on the piano-oriented ‘Here I Go Again,’ and ‘Round & Round’; whiles songs like ‘Dancing Like A White Girl’ (feat. Chester French) didn’t deserve to make it into the art gallery.
In the end, Edo G Masta Ace’s Arts & Entertainment project is another example of how good Hip-Hop is still out there, you just have to know where to look to find it. Virtually showing no drop off in their skills, the two feed off each other equally, without any signs of them trying to one-up the other.
For those who’ve been fans of their work for years, this is definitely a record worth looking into, and for the youngsters who aren’t familiar with their contributions; this album should serve as a study guide on the proper way to MC.
Rating: 3.5
