Gifted

February 20, 2012
By Oliver Layco

Rap is a dying genre in today’s industry. While there may be commercial success with ‘rappers’ like Drake, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa, in terms of quality there isn’t much out there. Those who really appreciate rap are left to scour mixtapes that spread by word of mouth. Surprisingly one of my fellow St. John’s students provides something fresh that will rely on his friends and friends of friends to spread his music. Gifted by Clacco is a good debut mixtape from an aspiring artist. The quality of his music isn’t half bad either; it doesn’t sound like it was made in the basement but rather it was really made in a studio. In terms of his lyrical ability, while it isn’t going to change the industry by itself, it is something that is fresh and can help lead the revolution of bringing this type of rap back to the mainstream. When he spits his lyrics, he sounds like a College Dropout era Kanye West mixed with Wale and Tinie Tempah. There are influences with his beats; most notably with those of Jay-Z. Off the tracks Clap For Him and Watcher Freestyle I may even go so far to say that he delivers his lines like a young Jay-Z at some points. My favorite track is Graduation. This may be due to my impending graduation this May, but the words he raps really agreed with my thoughts about college. One of the lines that made me really laugh and nod my head in agreement was, “Second verse for the nurses/only signed up cause the major paid for purses/…go ‘head girl keep on keepin’ it up/pretty soon your only job is keepin’ it up.” Other notable songs off the album include Coke Boy Freestyle, Be Famouss, High Heel Dreaming, Gifted, Unusual Beautiful Black Music, and For the Stars. Clacco can only keep rising if his music improves from this point on. Hopefully he doesn’t succumb to the pressure of the record companies and the fame that comes along with his rise. If you’re looking for some fresh and new music to listen to, then give Clacco a listen and download his mixtape.

Download and listen here: Gifted

8.5 out of 10 Bigblue Leaps!!

***

Nutshell Reviews is a collection of very short reviews of the most significant movies, books, music, and video games, from both the present day and days gone passed.