It has seemed since the passing of producer J. Dilla and rapper Proof, the light has shone a bit brighter on Detroit. It has put many of us on to some good music with veteran rappers such as Royce Da 5’9 and new jack producers such as Black Milk have given Hip-Hop heads something to nod to. Next up is Finale. A Pipe Dream And A Promise(Interdependent Media) doesn’t signify an average rapper who is masked around production, but a Hip-Hop lover who is at home on the microphone.
Finale has attracted some pretty strong production from around the Motor City and beyond. Headlining the Detroit lineup is J. Dilla’s “Heat”. Finale hits this track at a nonstop pace. He sparsely takes time to breath breaking out lines reminiscent of Busta Rhymes. Also coming along form the ride is Black Milk, who delivers on “Motor Music”.
Surprisingly, Finale finds some of his best work coming from Nottz. Both “Jumper Cables” and “Brother’s Keeper” have the knock to match Finale’s cadence in a great way. It leaves a quick second of open sound which matches the production as well as a snare or bass drum well.
The title track “A Pipe Dream And A Promise” produced by Oddisee, attacks from different angles, calling from jazz and a heavy snare to catch the attention of the listener. It takes a few seconds to get used to, but after a while it fits right in place.
Even with powerful flow and mic presence, there are a few missteps. “The Waiting Game” comes off like the mixture of a throw away beat from normally consistent Krysis and in kind, throwaway verses from Finale. “Issues” sounds like a bad blend, as Finale never finds the grove he need to hit in order to match the beat.
Emcees come a dime a dozen, and due to the internet, that is even more apparent. With the ability for anyone to create a studio and distribute music, it really floods the market more than ever.
It can make anyone miss out on finding a new artist that is worth sticking around with. Even with its few flaws, A Pipe Dream And A Promise establishes Finale’s ability with lyrics and word play. One can only hope that this album isn’t a finale for him.
Finale
“One Man Show”