Album Review: i-witness – “Free”
i-witness – “Free”
Released: 11/11/2011
Reviewed by: WyldBill “The Khalifa”
Rating: 6.9 (Out of 10)
[xrr rating=6.9/10]
Heath Honzell who is known by his moniker, i-witness, is from Pittsburg, TX, a small town of about 4,000 people, but currently resides in Whitehouse, Texas. He started his mission for Christ after meeting his future wife in 2009. Heath always loved music. Because of the negative impact it had on his life, he started using the mic to impact people’s lives in a positive way. This album titled, “Free” is his debut album that combines real life experiences with urban/underground music. The album features collabs with Manchild (of Mars ill and DeepSpace 5), Johnny Bishop, Redd Lettaz, and Rapture. The Producers on this record are Johnny Bishop, Anno Domini, & The Unbeatables.
Now let’s get into the album. It opens with the “Free” intro that sounds like a well known ministry’s commercial off of The Word Network. I like the quote off the intro “You can’t testify off the stuff you heard, you can only testify off of what you know!” This is a good setup for the meaning behind i-witness’ name and music. The first official track off “Free” is Witness. The news report inspired track features a cool sample of people chanting “witness” and features the comical styling of rap artist Redd Lettaz. i-witness has vocals that sound like a cross between rappers Bobby Bishop and Jahaziel. The beat sounds like it fell out of Todd Collins’ (from Beatmart Recordings) music catalogue. The next track, Watch It Unfold, features verses from Manchild and his ATL affiliate Johnny Bishop, who I think produced the track. I was like this dude pulled out Manchild! The #4 spot is Open My Eyes. This song is a cry for help when he and The Tonic of CMR sounding MC Rapture feels lost. This track has a very mainstream radio sound to it. The follow-up One features a sample of Wit & Dre Murray’s Empty Spaces from Hell’s Paradise Pt.1, which is also a sample of Queen’s The Show Must Go On. The next track Lost and Found had a Goodie Mob/Outkast sound to it. Now he moves into the last quarter of the album with Til’ My Heart Wont Bleed. This record has a “The Procussions” feel to it. I really like the hook on this one. Just know this, I had to rewind it. The last song on this EP has a rock influence. The beat sounds dated, but he is stronger, cadence and lyric-wise on this track. I’ve noticed a lot of freshmen coming through the gate this year, and I pray they stand firm and blossom. Hard times are ahead, but don’t give up.
The key tracks: Witness, Watch It Unfold, and Open My Eyes.
Comprehensive Ratings:
1. Music – 6.5
2. Flow – 7.5
3. Lyricism – 6
4. Content– 9
5. Creativity/Originality/Relevancy – 5
6. Credibility & Confidence – 8
7. Personality & Character – 7
8. Presentation Quality – 7
9. Overall Production Quality – 7
10. Potential Impact – 6
