Crooked I – The Block Obama II

Last year, Crooked I returned from relative obscurity with a vengeance. On his ‘€œHip Hop Weekly’€ series, he released a new freestyle over a then-contemporary instrumental every week, and even after releasing some 53 freestyles, he continued to steadily push out material like this Election Day release, The Block Obama II, at a pace rivaled only by Lil’ Wayne’s recent barrage of guest verses and mixtapes. Crooked I opens The Block Obama II with the awkwardly off-beat strings and synthesizers of ‘€œCircle Gang Anthem.’€ Over hard-hitting percussion, Crooked I lays waste to any and all doubters. With a solid roster of underground producers at the helm of the instrumentals, the stage is set for Crooked I to pay off on the show of promise that he has let on. Over the menacing synths of ‘€œDo It Like Me,’€ Crooked snarls at the haters: ‘€œFresh tats on the neck, ghetto smile on the face/Hennessey is in the cup, Pillsbury on the waist 20 Gs on the wrist, haters better gimme space/Bosses don’t give a fuck, Long Beach is in the place’€ All of the mixtape’s nine songs are solid efforts and, if anything, the strong production can’t keep up with Crooked I’s astonishing wordplay. After years of hold ups and pushed back release dates, the Crooked I that the West Coast has been waiting for has arrived. Throw this one on and listen to the future of hip hop, you’ll enjoy it.

Recommended Songs: Circle Gang Anthem, Do It Like Me

Rating: 3.5