Released: 2011

Reviewed by: Ed Welch

Rating: 7.55 (Out of 10)

[xrr rating=7.55/10]

WillStomp has jumped on the scene with his newest release of Victory Iz Certain!  This album is a really nice upbeat project.  The overall production (courtesy of horns that don’t quit) sounds very victorious and WillStomp definitely had my head nodding. 

Songs like “Rocky Balboa” will hit you hard and have you chanting along and nodding your head, but there is definitely some room for improvement in his technique.  By the time I got to “C.O.G.” the songs started to have the same kind of feel, with only a slight change in tempo.  Don’t get me wrong. They are nice songs and most of these hits are connecting, but I’m just waiting on him to hit with something different.  That right hook is only gonna work for so long…  Fast forward to “Go” and “U Turn” and you finally see a total shift in musical style and approach. 

Sometimes he is a tad bit off with his lyrics (“Yes” might be the biggest criminal in this department), but there are also moments that are just great.  For instance, the added singing (ahem, thank you Camia Farr) to “Leanin on the Rock” was off the chain and really helped that song shine. 

This album has that “BIG” sound that you can bump while you’re riding down the street, and the overall lyrical flow (features included) falls right in line.  Speaking of features…I liked them!  Lol…sorry for being so simplistic.  “Turn My Praise Up” is actually a really nice cipher with nice wordplay.  I actually found myself looking forward to the next verse, and wondering what style the next emcee was going to bring to the table.  I have to be honest by saying, that doesn’t happen too often now-a-days.  I’m not saying WillStomp has this futuristic flow with “awesome” wordplay.  Let’s calm down a little bit.  I’m saying WillStomp has a flow that fits the beat.  The beats are nice, but he’s not overshadowed by them.  WillStomp holds his own, and he brings the necessary amount of energy to keep your attention.

In short, this project is pretty cool.  I definitely enjoyed this project and look forward to hearing more from this artist in the future.  If you like hooks that are catchy (aka you can roll the windows down, and chant along & not be embarrassed), beats that make you feel like the victory is won, and a positive message, you’ll probably enjoy this project too.  Oh, by the way… You might label me as a tad bit slow, but at the beginning of this review when I said the overall production sounds victorious, I wasn’t even intending to play on words.  I give two “thumbs up” to the production team for giving this project the proper sound to fit the title of this album.  Awesome job!  Shoot, I’m ready to go 12 rounds right now & get my Rocky Balboa on!  But hey, everybody’s a critic.  I’m just the guy who wrote the review.  Peace and much love.

Ed Welch aka E Pluribus Unum

Music                          7.5

Flow                            8

Lyricism                      7

Content                       8

Creativity                    7

Credibility                   7

Personality                  6.75

Presentation                8

Overall Production      8.5

Potential Impact          7.75