For all of you fans of real hip-hop who are tired of the “bling bling” gangsta rap being played all over MTV comes a breath of fresh air from Minnesota’s Rhymesayers Crew. Although Eyedea is a veteran of many of underground hip-hop’s top- battlegrounds (Rap Olympics, Scribble Jam) many caught their first glimpse of him in 2001. Eyedea was the skinny white kid who stunned audiences everywhere with his victory in the Blaze Battle televised on HBO. Eyedea has three previous releases on the Rhymesayers label, which were produced with his partner in rhyme under the name Eyedea & Abilities. They include Pushing Buttons, Firstborn, and Blindly Firing.

Now, having entered the studio alone for the first time, Eyedea is responsible for all of his own beats, rhymes, and production. This solo effort shows an eccentric and varied taste in sampling covering almost every genre from jazz to rock. Eyedea is finally getting the chance to showcase his rhyming skills, which have come a long way in the last couple of years.

If this is a neon sign of things to come from this bright MC then hip-hop purists should be more than satisfied with the final product. Those same people are the ones that appreciate beats and rhymes over money and ho’s, and they know that Eyedea has far surpassed his endeavors with DJ Abilities who may soon be left looking for a new partner.