At 22, Minneapolis MC Eyedea's trophy case sports a fair amount of ghetto chic, featuring championships at the 2000 HBO World Blaze Battle, the 2000 Rocksteady MC Battle and the 1999 Scribble MC Battle. His DJ and producer, Abilities, has done fairly well himself, scoring two Regional DMC championships. Well decorated, however, does not always spell artistic excellence-- case in point, Sinbad and Star Search. This is especially true in the world of hip-hop, where so many people generally "just don't give a fuck." But what matters most in hip-hop is whether you've got the skills to pay the bills. And in this sense, it seems that Eyedea and Abilities are worthy of their accolades.

The focal point of the duo is Eyedea, a contemplative rapper who's most conscious of two things-- who he is (or isn't) and how much he rules. At one moment, we find Eyedea picturing his life as a fish (as on the tripped-out "Fish" trilogy), or doubting his corporeal existence (as on "Color My World Mine"); the next, he's pulling a lyrical Kaiser Soze with his retrospective battling on "Big Shots." His lyrical talents are no less impressive than his mood swings, showing variation in meter, tempo and vocal tone (although it's always a little nasally and heavy on enunciation).

The beats and scratches, from the mind and wrists of Abilities, are comparatively simple. The simplicity rears its head in the drums; you won't hear much more than firm, straightforward machine-beats on First Born. No copped drum breaks, shuffles, or funky percussion-- just beats, just background. The rest of the mix, however, is a bit more jazzy and quirky, blending piano, flute, organ vamps, vibraphones, and some basic samples. Then, of course, there's Abilities' "abilities"-- the wheels of steel-- which blend skillfully in the mix without sounding too apparent. His restraint lends a good deal of coherence to the album.

Unfortunately, this simplistic sound also leads to a mix too weak and reserved for Eyedea's ample mic skills. Is there a rule against pairing complex, wicked beats with hype MCs? Must we save these beats for Trick Daddy? You get the feeling that any track with an MC as biting and incisive as Eyedea, with a vocal tone with as much attack as his, could really bounce. Eyedea would benefit from more bass, more breaks-- generally more flavor. For a large part of the album I was thinking "remix," or possibly "El-P."

So the beats could use improvement, but the bottom line is Eyedea: he's good. His rhymes are dense, literate, focused, often surprising and always amusing. Expect much more out of the kid, especially given the undie resurgence of 2001 (Def Jux clan, in particular). In the meantime, First Born's out there if you want it.

-Brad Haywood, February 11th, 2002