Willie is an artist in the true sense of the word. He is the conducter of his own hip-hop orchestra. What makes his music so inviting is the cohesive nature of his entire body of work. His flow and beats form one giant canvas. The creative way he brings it to fruition sounds almost effortless in it’s execution. Not many emcees can match their own beats on a par with their skills as a lyricist. Yet Willie Evans Jr. is like listening to Exile: if he had the voice of MF Doom.
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This album is not convential in it’s implementation. There’s no sound shift for a song about weed, sex or politics. Rather we are treated to what seems like one long burst of energy. In some ways it’s like looking out the window of a speeding train, enjoying the scenery. You never have long enough to settle on one particular item as you are constantly being hit with something new.
After an amusing opening sketch which deals with his musical background. Track two “Introducin’”, sounds like listening to a didgeridoo on acid. The elecrontic sound bites create an unsettling World in which Willie Evans spits his rhymes. At 2 minutes 16 seconds, he crams as many punchlines into one track as possible. You can almost hear the speed in his voice, constantly battling, eager to finish his rhymes before the beat ends. The music rips through your body like a fever or a racing pulse. A World which is never static.
Track 3 “Dumbtron” is hip-hop from the darkest club in town, it packs an aggresive punch like James Brown in his prime. A guitar sample plays frantically as Willie tackles the track. “Nerd English” is essentially a mix of funky loops and concious rhymes. The theme may be cliche (shots at the gangsta rap image) but the flow is infectious. Theres real competition for your attention as the production tries to out do the raps and vica versa.
“Mega” is a Soul inspired glitch-hop track. Reminescent of Prefuse 73 or Madlib. The abstract rhymes serve to illuminate the music. Although i would classify him as a street wise emcee, his delivery stays playful. As is evident on “Asamov” and “Moon Foot”. His flow bounces comfortably on the tracks. Nothing, no matter how ‘out there’ sounds out of place, such is the variety on show. “Moon Foot” even encorporates a melodic chorus suitable for a 60’s style LSD trip. It is a brilliant psychedelic journey, if not a celebration of hip-hop.
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Theres so much going on here that Willie could have released this project as an instrumental LP. Even without the battle inspired raps, it would still have been worth the purchase. It’s a short album, but almost all of his work thus far has served as a flash of brilliance. He prefers MPC driven mayhem to regular song structures. Take his youtube videos for example, where he remixes Aloe Blacc to glorious effect.
His vision and appeal lays in creating a wild aesthetic. “Introducin'” succeeds in doing just that. The outro has a trippy vibe to it, almost like the end of Alice in Wonderland or a childrens movie. It concludes the opening track with it’s continued use of ‘adult lectures’ on his musical talents. As soon as we begin to feel settled, Willie lets us know it’s time to leave.
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