Song Review: War Zone 2012

Song Review: "War Zone 2012 (f/ Chayse Maclair and Boss Game)" by Methodical
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11134580

In a prior review of a song by Methodical, we had a discussion about his beat selection.  I felt the beats weren't as strong as they could have been, lacking variation and dynamics needed for the style of song he was working with.  It was then that I recommended Life and Death Productions, a Soundclick-based production suite that provides just the kind of beats I felt Methodical would rock on.

This song is the first fruit of that labor.

Enlisting Chayse Maclair and Boss Game to sew up the track, Methodical chooses a somber, key-laden beat to paint the backdrop for his performance.  Although crippled by the mic and sound quality, you can tell the artist writes as is name is -- methodically.  Rhymes are placed in exact spots, and, much more importantly, the delivery here near flawless.  The emotion and energy is there, and it fits well with the beat.  It's a story of stress and struggle, and Methodical nicely walks the tightrope of being lyrical while keeping his story sensible.

Chayse is back on his hook game again, providing a great interlude between Methodical and Boss Game.  I'm not sure if the beat carries the artist or if he is just riding it that well, but either way, something about the hook just works.  I have heard a few hooks done by Chayse, and they can be hit and miss.  This one, for me, was hit.

Enter Boss Game.  Maybe it's because I'm on my laptop, but it sounds like BG's mic quality has degraded a bit since I last heard him.  Either way, Boss shows his versatility here, nailing this track lyrically, almost mimicking the style of Methodical in the beginning.  One difference here, though; Boss seems to stray in the latter part of the verse from internal struggle to external conflict.  Not sure if this was intentional or not, but it seems to work out nonetheless.

Overall, it's a somber song, one I feel you kinda need to be in the mood to hear.  I also feel like this song was hurt a bit from the poor quality of the first verse, and that's something you really can't make up for, not even with strong features.  Still, this is a pretty cool, low-key track that delivers lyrically and highlights Methodical's methodical progression.

But, of course, you won't understand what I mean unless you hear it for yourself:

N. Talekt