what y'all think of Edan? according to me one of the illest most underrated lyrical geniuses outthere... Primitive Plus was flames... can't w8 to get my hands on his new stuff here
If you're ready to take a trip, hop on because Edan is driving the bus. Beauty & The Beat is a long journey from his previous work, Primitive Plus, which is best described as a tribute to the music and ideals of Hip Hop's golden age. Instead, Beauty is psychedelic in nature, drawing from 60's Rock and other resources previously untapped by most producers. Although Edan is still studying from the blueprint, this is his own thumbprint on the game.
When you first listen to Beauty & The Beat, imagine a gritty sound as if you dusted off one of your parents' old vinyls. It's just one of those little touches that helps set the mood. As usual, hearing Edan & Insight collaborate is a pleasure, both on "Funky Voltron" and "The Science of the Two", complete with effortless back-to-back rhyming. Talk about brothers from another mother. The word psychedelic comes into play with the backdrops and imagery of tracks like "I See Colours", with a sampled hook that comes out of left-field. I would guess Edan is drawing inspiration from the same place as many 60's Rock stars, but he clearly says, "Without the LSD, I see colors". You can almost see Edan's words come to life on a canvas with "Beauty", with lyrics such as, "The sun splits the waterfront causing prismatic effects, butterflies come alive to have sex."
Fellow old-school enthusiast, Percee-P, drops by to maim MC's on the aggressive "Torture Chamber". Edan pays homage to "true scientists" such as Percee on "Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme", a timeline centering on Hip Hop's greatest minds. Maybe his name will be up there someday. Moving on from his tribute to boom-bap, we get "Rock & Roll" featuring Electric Co. member, Dagha. Obviously Edan is a true student of music, showing love to all sources of inspiration. The man known as the Humble Magnificent gets his storytelling on with "Murder Mystery" as well as the brilliant, "Smile". The latter focuses on a talented performer who is dissolving on the inside, finished off with a haunting but appropriate sample.
It's easy to label an artist like Edan as old school, but he's as innovative and fresh as any of his competition. Primitive Plus nicely displayed his triple threat abilities, whether cutting, on the boards or blessing the mic, but the focus of Beauty & The Beat is unparalleled by his past work. Beauty may even inspire younger fans to check out some of the source material, just as he has motivated others to look beyond the current crop of Hip Hop artists. Next time you appreciate the little things in life, you may even attribute it to Beauty & The Beat
Score: 4/5
