#lyrics I’d make into a song if I had an ounce of musical prowess

[yenzibenji]

I don’t want to feel hollow

But I fear overflowing

Sensing is overwhelming

This might be a hard pill to swallow

I’ m afraid I’ll choke

But it’s you I want to follow

Sorrow sorrow sorrow sorry

Envy envy envy ending me

Borrow borrow borrow burrowed

In yearly dearly dealthy debt

[furloughloa]

Before I even step into this review I have to admit, Ezko is my favorite up and coming DMV rapper. So I was stoked when he agreed to let me get the exclusive on this album and review it. But like any friend that I speak to about their hobby, craft, or passion - I hold no punches. There isn’t an ounce of “yes-man” in me. So if you shoot pictures, I’ll tell you if that picture is whack. If you make websites and that site sucks, I’m going to tell you. And in this case - if you rap, you better have bars. Especially when your FB handle is Ezko Bars. So let’s get right into it.

Ezko wastes no time getting right to the point from the jump of his newest project, Buy My$elf. First of all, that title is fire. It perfectly encompasses what this project is about to give you. The subtle play on words with the deeper implication standing in the shadows behind it, is what I really love seeing from artists. It automatically lets me know this project may have some substance to it, it’s up to the artist to follow through. Partner that in with the artwork and it’s safe to assume you’re about to get Grade A product. Shout out to the graphic artist on the cover. 

Young Ezko opens up with “Sleeping Ugly.” This track is probably one of my favorite off of the project. The production is stellar with the sample really doing a great job of pulling you into its melodic trance. Then Ezko cuts in sharp as a knife at the beat drop. The contrast that the rasp in his voice provides over such a laid back beat, is amazing. They compliment each other so well that it feels as if Ezko is laying down on the beat, simply spittin’ game over the drums. 

“Gone off the loud/my head in the clouds/ and haters come around just to see what I’m about// they know the flow’s dope they heard by word of mouf/ I’m working everyday I’m tryna buy my mom a house/ a nice ride for my pops/ vacations for the fam/ a chance to show em all a young nigga became a man.” 

The above is one of the main reasons why I pay so much attention to Ezko’s flowering career. The seamless transition from “Rapper Bravado” to the introspection of why he’s really rapping, is flawless victory. The way he flows it all out as well, is just the icing on the cake. It’s not like he just gave you a triple entendre, because honestly those bars aren’t the most complicated. Rather it paints a very vivid picture and gives you that visual into this young man’s thoughts. My only gripe with this song is the during the intro when Ezko hits you with an almost Wiz esque “yeah, yeah, uh yeah yeah.” I would have rather heard the sample ride out in solidarity then have Ezko just break in the way he did. I felt like this would have come off way cleaner and hit harder. 

Speaking of cleaner - Lowkey Livin’ is probably the cleanest track on the whole tape. What feels like a lyrical smokers type track, is very reminiscent of Cypress Hill. The beat translates exactly how Ezko smells every time I see em, dank. If there is a track on the tape that is the smoker’s anthem, it’s this one. Ezko then moves onto Piece of the P.I.E 2. This track feels like that in between space of coming down from being super high and getting caught in your thoughts/emotions. Which is a perfect transition from the previous herbal anthem. I really do appreciate what the vocals were trying to accomplish but I honestly thought the singing it self was trash. There’s only ever been one person who can’t sing but can sing type of singer and his name is Pharrell. I wish more people realized this and wouldn’t attempt it. If it were me, I would have had homegirl write the harmony's down that she heard on paper and had someone else sing them. Because she definitely bodied the placement. 

Kool Aid & Newports moves the tape right along bringing the tempo back up. While I usually hate ANY track that is “something & something” post Kush & Orange juice - I’m not mad at this at all. And it’s probably because I can honestly imagine Ezko sitting around with a red solo cup full of Kool-Aid inhaling a Newport down to the filter. Unlike most “something & something” tracks, Ezko actually takes full advantage to convey an actual message.

 “I guess I gotta walk through the rain/Thou shalt get money, Thou shall not complain.” 

Home, But I Can’t, N.F.W.T, and Keep It Real - really did nothing for me at all. Not that they were bad tracks because I honestly don’t feel there’s a SINGLE bad track on the tape. I literally just found myself saying, he’s better than these songs while listening to them. My first time through, I actually skipped them altogether because I just wasn’t feeling them. There are definitely bars embedded in these songs but I thought his presentation could have been more polished on these tracks or maybe just used different production entirely.

Murder She Wrote 2 rounds up the project and in grand fashion. Accompanied by the homie Nature Boi, one of the DopeMusicVillage head honchos, hailing from Baltimore and SLan is THEE BEST track on the tape. I ran this back so many times I lost count. There are way too many quotable’s on this to even start getting into it. Everything down to the order of of MC’s stepping to the mic is perfection. To me, order has always been everything when a track has multiple MC’s on it. The wrong order can ruin a potentially amazing track showcasing how dope each artist really is. This opportunity is not easily squandered over what is one of the hardest beats I’ve ever heard. Shout out to Doc Battle. I really like how SLan recorded his verse as well. The layering is top notch and it mixed down very well. I felt like the way he presented on this, is one of the contributing factors to run the track back. It’s like the track wasn’t meant to end so you run it right back and end up in an endless loop. 

All in all, I have to say I’m rather impressed from this first body of work from Ezko. Not only did I have very high expectations but I also had high hopes for this tape. I feel like Ezko is well on his way to becoming a formidable force in the DMV, if continues what can at times feel like an endless grind. Though, he does seem to be fully aware of the journey that faces him, in the years to come. I truly feel Ezko could be one of the next big things to come out the area if he continues to work towards his goals. He has seeminlgy found his own pocket to flow within, his lyrical ability improves every time I hear him, and he’s got one of the strongest groups backing him every step of the way in the form of DopeMusicVillage. I think the latter may be one of the main reasons Ezko consistently improves. Nature is a force to be reckoned with as a producer, lyricist, and businessman. Couple that with Brain Rapp’s lyrical prowess to bar faces quite literally off skulls, while providing some pretty amazing visuals - and you have one hell of a team. They say steel sharpens steel and Ezko proves he’s on point with this debut project. 

I’d rate this project a solid 3.5 Dylan’s out of 5 if I used a rating system. Despite Ezko being the homie, I really did enjoy this product and no I didn’t get payola. Ezko, where’s my LitGang Shirt!? 

If you’re in the area please come by and support bro for his album release. The info is in the pic above. Come and show love to the locals. In the meantime head over to Ezko’s site and cop some merch. He actually has a couple of really dope pieces. So even if you don’t like his music, don’t be a hater and cop a shirt.

peace.