Beyond Bulletproof

Prolific Sacramento rapper Mozzy solidified his style over the course of countless mixtapes and collaborative projects, molding the familiar sounds of classic West Coast hip-hop around his dark and unrelenting lyrics of street violence and internal searching. Fifth studio album Beyond Bulletproof follows a string of nearly nonstop releases that came right before it, and bests them with more detailed production and more fully realized performances. Mozzys slow-rolling beats recall some of the more menacing moments of the classic Death Row catalog, updated for a world view thats grown more intense since the days of The Chronic. Still, its hard not to feel a similar spark thats uniquely Californian, even when Chicago drill rappers G Herbo and King Von show up on the tough mic trade-off Body Count. Hints of more accessible production appear in the unexpected guitar accents and hooky chorus of Pricetag, as well as the gentle instrumental of I Aint Perfect. Mozzys storytelling style is one of his strongest attributes, and his lyrical intricacies are only highlighted all the more by production that swings closer to mainstream fare than anything hes released before. Lyrical themes orbit around topics he often returns to: crime, struggle, and street vengeance. With Beyond Bulletproof, however, the delivery is shades more relaxed and even introspective, allowing for a clearer view of Mozzys pain as well as his personality. ~ Fred Thomas

地元サクラメントをベースに膨大な作品を発表し続けているモジー。やさぐれ気味のドライなラップがいかにもベイエリア産という趣きで、オートチューン全盛期にもかかわらず擦れた地声でラップを畳みかける様が最高。荒涼とした空気が全体を包むなか、エリック・ベリンジャーらシンガー勢との絡みやマリオ"Let Me Love You"の引用などで爽快さもアリ。"Body Count"には先日急逝したキング・ヴォンも参加。
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