Review: "Emcee" EP by DaRealMrLee
Poland based DaRealMrLee embraces a hazy disposition with the dazed environment of his debut EP “Emcee”. Everything here features a keen balance. Icy grooves are matched by fiery, blistering performances of the very aptly named “Emcee”. Like a true MC, DaRealMrLee takes the mike and runs with it. These pieces bounce off the walls quite hysterically at times. By allowing there to be a calm tempo, slow, steady, and deliberate, it serves as a background to the overall spirit of the sound, making sure it all works once taken in as a singular whole.
DaRealMrLee absolutely burns through these verses like some sort of possessed Busta Rhymes. The speed at which he travels is doubly impressive, for there is a chaos to his effect. Even as weird and mellowed as the productions themselves are, he brings about a bit of the sheer terrified energy of Danny Brown in terms of the pile-ups of wordplay. Incredibly skilled on the mike he burns it all down. Production-wise there is a vaporwave aspect to the sound for it glows with such radiant colors, and the beats hit with a half-remembered dream like quality, like Floral Shoppe gone rap.
The project opens up on an acidic tone with the giddy opener “EP Emcee”. After the small interlude of “Skit-Lenard says I’ll Chop Yer Ear Off Lenard” things hit hard on “Specialists”, featuring Joka B and Lucky Lyrics. Here there is a certain darkness to it, for the melodies waft on up into the air. “Laser Sight” features a chilled-out bass alongside intensely delivered bars.
Metallic clangs give “What Time Is It?” a rather eerie presence. Hyperkinetic wordplay blasts through with “Grafters”, featuring JLMz. With “Skit-HashTag Abuse” they go for a giddy strangeness. Cryptic “Room 316” with Ultra_eko is infused with pure uncut dread, as the threatening aspect never stops. “Ghost Racer Redux” has a driving pulse to it, veering unexpectedly. On “Skit- Block Em Bazza” the piece has a truly cartoonish aspect. Bringing it all home in a powerful muscular way is the intense “Skillers”, featuring $Doobie$Dinero$ and Bad Ape Music.
The “Emcee” EP features the exquisite charm of DaRealMrLee in crafting something that has a confrontational yet incredibly honest demeanor, transcending trends for something much more timeless.