|

Yo! I'm really feelin' Elix. Add Mr. Eon and Chief Kamachi
into the mix and how can The Beast Within not
be a bangin' track? Completely underground. Completely
deserving of mixtape inclusion. Completely phat Hip
Hop.
All three emcees come with different yet all commanding
confidence and a touch of attitude throw in with an
impressive dose of lyricism. Mr. Eon and Kamachi have
well known track records and good presence on the mic.
Elix is the wildcard and he ends up seizing the moment
with a very strong vocal showing. His style literally
sounds like he's got a beast within. This brother proves
to be vocally powerful and commanding. Ladies and gentleman,
welcome another Philadelphia lyricist to the stage.
So I've established the high level of the vocals and
now need to touch on the song's instrumentation. DJ
Truth and Art Beeswax provide a beat that is sparse,
basic and definitely the right balance to the three
emcees. Varied movie track sounds are expertly layered
between the driving beat and the accomplished lyricism.
The remix is equally moving and by no means plays second
fiddle to the original. The whole thing was mastered
by Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo so you know the
sound quality is as good as it gets.
The B side of this 12' inch is the equally impressive
Keystone Cops. Elix represents for the East while
the skilled Pittsburgh emcee Chardon Don holds it down
for the western part of the Keystone State as they both
share tales of the racism and corruption that permeates
the police departments of both of Pennsylvania's two
biggest cities over an upbeat, fast paced melodic beat.
I guess Philly and Pittsburgh have more in Commonwealth
then we thought.
Obviously, Elix is in Good Hands. Nuff said.
goodhandsrecords.com
Are you feelin' "The Beast Within" or not?
Vote
in our online poll right here
Review by Funk Wizard Snow
Editor- PhillyHipHop.com
May, 2003
|