Album Review: David Michael – “Wash”
David Michael “Wash”
Released: 2010
Reviewed by: Hipknokerz
Rating: 4.9 (Out of 10)
[xrr rating=4.9/10]
I know when an album is going to be tight when I hear the first song and I get goose bumps up and down my arm! I replayed Send a Sword over 20 times in my car. The track from IZ Real music is SICK, and usually when you have a sick beat like that the artist really doesn’t do anything with it. But not David, oh no! That dude straight merked it! Amazing cadence and a voice that shows confidence, David brings a refreshing, “Yes this is what Good Hip Hop Music is!” type of feeling to the listener! His gritty vocals and heart felt words became an epic call of our faith, encouraging our people to continue the fight to let our people go! He was extremely smart with how he flowed on this beat. He swings in his cadence with how he accents certain words to flow perfectly with how the beat swings as well, but didn’t crowd the beat at all. WOW!
“Get Him Up High” has a nice swing to it as well, but he knew how to flow differently on this beat. David brings easy to understand words with an interesting flow on a topic that is central to our Christian faith. He is extremely classy by changing up the cadence which gives the listener ear candy that makes up for the beats repetitiveness. He did such a good job that I really didn’t even notice that the beat looped forever. At least put a mute or something on it bro, lol.
“STOMP” is the first song that the beat is recycled. Now the problem with using another person’s beat is that you will always be compared to that other artist. Although I do not recall who the other artist is, I know I’ve heard this beat before. But like the ROCK says, “It doesn’t matter!” David compliments the beat with a choppy type flow, letting the syllables play with the space high hats usually sit in. This is a smart way of using the voice as an instrument while spitting lyrics at the same time.
“Ain’t My Style” is a world recognized beat. Again, I didn’t even care who used it before! David brought an intriguing lyrical cadence again, showing his ability to do story telling. Man I am amazed by this person’s talent. Even the lyrics show that he used words that will compliment a story type of flow vs. using other words that will keep the listeners wanting… Plus the topic was seamlessly woven in his delivery. Amazing!
“Saw Me Through” didn’t have an interesting intro musically, but I soon forgot about that taste in my mouth when David starting rapping on it. Again, his cadence complimented the beat to make it sound better, a sign of a truly talented MC. The beat is simple. Usually this brings the artist down, because they have to do more work. But the empty space was filled with David’s syncopated flow and the singer’s reverbed ad libs. Who ever mixed this and arranged it is smart and used what was given very well. Compliments to the MIXER!
“All for Nothing” is a track that came from the other side of the hood! Acoustic guitars, live drums and keys; this beat is totally different than the rest. This song allowed me to feel like I was sitting one on one with David, having a conversation. It was a combination of a story telling flow and a heart felt monologue. He even attempts to sing, and sounds like there was a little bit of auto tune in it too. He is brave to try different types of songs. Rarely would an artist flourish in this type of setting. The beat is great, and compliments his gritty voice with the strings that play during the hook.
“Get on the Grind” is a southern track with classic horns and synths. Instruments were panned well, especially since they separated the bass track and his voice from being in the middle at the same time. Good mixing on that. This is another track where David’s voice has character. His delivery makes me believe that he believes in what he is rapping about. Although this track might be my least favorite, it still is done well in comparison.
“Killa” is a remake of Lecrae’s track, and again the comparisons start to fly. I tried not to, but I couldn’t help myself. The vocals were mixed well, having the ad libs panned left and right, making his voice sound fatter and sit in the mix better. He merked it again!!! His ability to go fast and slow is amazing, because it matches so well with the track. It’s good that he can be clearly heard both going slow and fast. If this track was given to David first, it would have still sounded official! I also loved his heart on how he addressed the other artist. I think he shows himself to be a thoughtful and respectful man on the mic. Another plus for him!
“Can’t Back Down” is again a different type of beat that sounds like Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” or Em’s “Love the Way You Lie”. Good choice of beats, showcasing his versatility and mastery over different types of flows. It has a great message as always and the mixing is top notched! Voice delivery is on point and the track is inspiring.
Gravity is a track that sounds like it’s from Haddon. Sorry for my ignorance. In any case, this is a wonderful finisher to a breath-taking album. Again, he is easily one of my favorite lyricists. His cadence and flow is engaging to the listener (if we have any true hip hoppers left who actually listens to flow and lyrics) and gives the listener a much awaited satisfaction that once accompanied music, rightfully so.
Comprehensive Rating:
1. Music – 5
2. Flow – 5
3. Creativity / Originality – 5
4. Relevancy – 4.5 (I felt that there could have been more word plays and smart analogies.)
5. Content & Character 5
6. Credibility & Confidence – 5
7. Personality – 5
8. Presentation Quality – 4.5 (I love the front page, but would have loved the production credits and other particulars as well.)
9. Overall Production Quality – 5
10. Potential Impact – 5
