Heavyweighter

Even by underground hip-hop standards, Sensational is a truly unusual artist. It's not just his raspy, unmelodic voice, which he makes even more unnerving by running it through echo chambers and recording it in what appears to be a cardboard box. Nor is it his beats, which are utterly devoid of melody or, when a melody is provided, without exception creepy and ominous (such as in "The Best" or "Sittin' On Top"). It's that even with his quirky experimentalism, several of his songs still cover standard hip-hop concerns, what with boasting about his record sales in "The Best," bragging about his income in "Extravaganza," and proclaiming himself the king of hip-hop in "Sittin' On Top." All of which begs the question: Who is this album meant for? Underground hip-hop fans will be puzzled by the lyrics, which aren't too different from the standard bling-bling of mainstream hip-hop (like Jay-Z) while mainstream hip-hop fans will be alienated by the defiantly unmelodic and spare music. Sensational is too talented an MC (and producer) to ignore, but with its idiosyncratic beats seemingly mismatched with out-of-place lyrics, Heavyweighter is really an acquired taste. ~ Victor W. Valdivia