Album Review: Skyzoo – The Salvation (2009)

Album Review: Skyzoo – The Salvation (2009)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Potholes

Skyzoo is a rapper that, for me, epitomizes the new breed of underground MC better than near any other rapper out there. Like almost every rapper these days, I first learned of Skyzoo through blogs and HipHopDX streams. Most often he was teamed with Torae, Chaundon or some other Justus League affiliate, rapping over the smooth but sometimes generic brand of boom bap that collective is known for. But despite being in on the beginning of the internet marketing groundswell, it doesn’t seem to have helped Skyzoo’s buzz much. He cut an unofficial debut record in three days Saigon-style in 2006, and followed that up with the well-downloaded Corner Store Classic in 2007. But after that, he seemed to fade backward into feature rapper status, becoming best known as one of Torae’s homeboys and a guy that loves – loves – to spell his alias.

But by 2009 Skyzoo appears ready to take a firmer grasp of his career. Where he first came to hip-hop’s attention through his connections – Jay Dee, 9th Wonder, Torae, Justus League – and relied on crafting a fanbase out of those with their ears to the streets, Skyzoo now seems to have a clear direction and, if not unique purpose, definitely a clearly defined one. He released The Power of Words early in 2009, a mixtape that displayed his penchant for lyrical depth and dedication to the art of crafting a verse rather than just spitting a couple sixteens, and he follows it with The Salvation, an LP that’s been waiting for a release more or less since 2007, when his buzz initially caught on. If most of these tracks survived from that time period, I wouldn’t call that surprising – the vibe of this album reminds me heavily of Sean Price’s Jesus Price Supastar, released that year and featuring a similarly-crafted collection of hardcore lyrics on top of soft, ear-catching productions. When the formula links up right it can be bliss, and Skyzoo’s spent a lot of time in the Justus League camp so when he’s handed a blissed out Eric G. beat for “For What It’s Worth” or the previous track “Dear Whoever”. It’s actually when he steps out of this box that the music takes a step back. I love Just Blaze as much as everyone, but “Return of the Real” is more of a tease than anything truly fulfilling.

The biggest negative for Skyzoo, one that was really obvious on the first listen but has faded with repetition, is how hard it is for him to push his voice up on top of the beat. All too often, especially on the opening track but also on stuff like “The Shooter’s Soundtrack” and “Popularity” Skyzoo falls into the common underground rap trap of simply not asserting himself enough on the track. It could all come down to mixing, but I think it’s something worth pointing out because this album could be a bit of a dull listen for some people until track three, or perhaps even track seven or eight depending on how discerning an ear the listener has. Later on, you’ll find the one dud 9th Wonder collabo, “Easy to Fly”, which reminds me of DJ Okawari’s release earlier this year with its extra soft, player style. It’s not a bad track by any means, but it’s one of Skyzoo’s few blatant pop attempts, and it’s eagerness to come off as unassuming and coy works against it more than for it.

That’s enough of the negatives, though – too often these days, it seems easy to point out the faults of an album I enjoy than what I like about it. First of all, even if it’s dated the production on this album is great. It isn’t changing anybody’s mind about the future of hip-hop or anything, but like Finale’s A Pipe Dream and a Promise the production does an excellent job of sounding new and current. And Skyzoo is an MC that instantly stands out thanks to his slightly nasal delivery and lyrical verses, even if it takes the right circumstances to pay close attention to him. Not everyone can be Sean Price, though. He’s also extremely competent as a conceptual artist and when it comes to crafting a song from beginning to end. He does struggle with hooks a little, especially with the generic “Like a Marathon” and boring “Easy to Fly”, but for the most part his hooks are good enough to be called such a thing. Perhaps he could have trimmed a few songs, or found a way to stand out a little more often on his own album, but as Skyzoo says, a lot of my complaints really aren’t his fault. Of if they are, they’re minor things that will take away from the music for some people and go unnoticed by others. I’ve given this a bit of a low score because I feel like I’ve heard this a lot lately, and honestly in the wake of the releases by Finale and Torae earlier this year I’m just a little underwhelmed by Skyzoo’s effort here. I was personally more impressed with The Power of Words, but I don’t think one can really go wrong with either option if your year’s been light on boom bap and underground MCisms.