Showtime Ramon x ProjectPorter – ‘Gemspit Exquisite’ [Album Review]

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Sac-town emcee Showtime Ramon is a machine at this point. With more than a handful of solo and collaborative projects under his belt, he continues to dazzle his fans with his off-the-cuff, pop-reference-laden raps over hard-hitting soundscapes. With a recent and fruitful partnership with NY beat maker ProjectPorter, the duo are now on their third musical release in the form of the 8-track project entitled Gemspit Exquisite. The project is the follow-up to their last release, Pressure, which was released in January of this year.

Showtime Ramon knows his audience and doesn’t stray too far from what he has been feeding them. The beats are cinematic, sparse and electrifying while his lyrical stance stays grounded in a blend of street savvy and ultra-violence garnished with his usual bravado. The first cut, “Splatterbrain,” set the tone with a drab, moody backdrop which sees the rapper casually dropping bars like “Lightsabre bars, I light em up where the force at/Looking at the cop, I Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris that” which underpins his modus operandi for the project. This is followed by “Tiger Woods,” and “Finish Line.” The former is a cinematic piece that samples clips from American Gangster and references the legendary Golf star, while the latter has a playful vocal sample laced with ominous strings and hushed drums underpinned by Showtime Ramon’s usual off-kilter banter-like raps that traverse cheeky rhyme schemes, wordplay anchored by his devil-may-care demeanour.

“Benji Wilson” shows a different side of Showtime Ramon’s artistry, where he mixes braggadocio with reflection. The title references two individuals: the ‘80s high school basketball star and Showtime Ramon’s best friend Staxx. Both died at a young age, and the similarities in their short lives inspire the rapper not to give up and to go all out in achieving his goals. Other notable tracks include “Game Changer,” “Blue Magic Mcgrady,” and “Swanton Bomb,” a triad of hard-hitting tracks with distinct soundscapes. ProjectPorter crafts the most exquisite backdrops using a wide array of samples layered to create a scenic and action-packed ambiance. This, for the most part, drives the entire project, giving it a unique and distinct feel. The final track, “Angle Lock,” brings the project to a close with an ominous backdrop underpinned by a flurry of no-holds-barred raps.

Overall, Gemspit Exquisite is raw, uncut and unfiltered from start to finish.