Theo Martins – You Can’t Do That On Television
DJ Booth: 2010
Download at DJBooth.net
An entire album or EP crafted by just one emcee and one producer has become a bit of a lost art. And, though it should go without saying, that’s a damn shame. Far too many albums lose their way or become scattered thanks to an emcee filling his or her album with a slew of producers. As such, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that Theo Martins, one of Rhode Island’s finest emcees, was teaming up with Ohio-based producer Super Sport to craft You Can’t Do That On Television.
The duo pulls you in with the subtle opening cut “The Letter” that has Theo flexing his wit and simile skills across a mellow, slightly-ambient soundscape of twinkling pianos. It’s the kind of first track that is reminiscent of the times when artists made albums that actually felt like an album and not a collection of songs thrown together. The EP then jolts to high-octane levels. Theo blacks out on the mic over Sport’s backdrop of boom-bap drums and pianos on “The Monocle”. And on the shuffling “Kirby’s Airwalk (FullaHate)”, you are treated to what sounds like a sequel to Lupe Fiasco’s “Gold Watch” off The Cool.
Just as impressive are “P.O.N.R.” and “Something to Remember”. The former is a rapid-paced chance for the Rhody emcee to further flex his lyrical abilities. Sport is no slouch either as he laced a fantastic beat reminiscent of MF DOOM and Madlib. As for “Something to Remember”, it’s akin to the chipmunk-soul we all loved in the early 2000s. But it’s done tastefully and with a sense of progression by a producer who clearly knows what he is doing behind the boards. And by the time it all wraps up with the apocalyptic-banger “Checkin’ In”, you might subconsciously move your mouse cursor to “The Letter” for another listen.
From beginning to end, there is nary a weak spot on here apart from a few lyrical missteps. Those issues will likely dissipate once Theo further refines his flow and writing, though. And that isn’t a knock on his skills at all, as he is fully capable of putting together a verse either full of slick storytelling or wise-cracking pop culture references. For the overwhelming majority of its six tracks, You Can’t Do… is a finely-tuned and well-oiled machine. The only real issue is that it’s all over far too soon and leaves you wanting more from this talented duo. For what it is, though, this is a project sure to rack up plays on your iTunes, Windows Media Player, WinAmp, or whatever it is you use to play music. And, as mentioned, it certainly works as a teaser of what is to come from Theo or Sport.
Note: This was written WAY before we decided to stop reviewing free projects. And, hey, I didn’t feel like wasting this review.
