Indie Hip-Hop Review: Rumorz "The Whisper Campaign"

I first discovered Rumorz online, I believe on H1 a little less than a year ago, and liked him so much off the strength of his track "Cryin" that I offered him a guest appearance on my album the idENTITY (Rumorz appeared on "Over & Over"). His voice tone stuck out to me, and his delivery was very on point, and it continues to get better on his new LP The Whisper Campaign.

The first track "You Ain't Really Want It" starts off strong with Rumorz coming hard on a Scott Storch-esque paino rhythm however the beat to me over powers the lyricism here as the instrumental seems to get played out. It kind of just sounds like one continuous loop, which is not bad all the time, but here did not work well.

"If You Wanna Ride" starts out very Epic like with a double-time drum pattern that suits Rumorz' flow very well. He begins killing the fast flow, something to me I have noticed as a fan of his that seems to be his forte. He really know what the track calls for, and delivers perfectly. This song transitions well into the next one "Show You What I Mean" which has a Kanye West-ish-Chi-Town-Twista-like bounce to it (lol, how about that for a description!). With lines like "Look at her movin', she like Shakira with them hips//Angelina with them lips, and Pamela with them shhhhh" shows that Rumorz has a playful wordplay that makes for a good mix of lyricism with a nice bounce. These two tracks set a nice tone to the album, and draws my attention further. Thus far, at first glance, he is passing the iPod test (a system where I listen to every track on a album, and rate the ones too keep on Pod).

The track that shows the broad ability that Rumorz possess to adapt to what a track calls for is displayed on "What's It Gonna Be." This pairs the East coast emcee with production that samples En Vouge's "Don't Let Go" and showcases a RnB singer on the hook that matches the track perfectly as Rumorz appeals to his audiences softer side with lines like, "I guess it took a heartbreak just to teach me//but if you change your mind girl you know where to reach me." So far this is my favorite track, bar none.

After that showcase of raw, uncut emotion we travel to a darker world of Rumorz in a song titled "Gruesome." The darkness of this track shows a different side to Rumorz as he intorudces his rhyme partner S.Money to the album. This song was perfect for a callab, and I believe he picked the right person to callab with, as they both contribute to a nicely crafted hook, nice track for sure. Rumorz hits with the fast flow again in the 3rd verse, and closes the track exceptionally.

Speaking of callab's, Rumorz calls on Young Cal to create "Game Set Match" over a Mister KA instrumental. To me on the first verse of this track Rumorz almost channels his inner Nas, and reminds me of Nas' flow on "Small World." Not as if he is copying Nas, but how the beat hit in that Nas track, and how he came off flowing on it, which is def. a compliment for Rumorz. I actually had to hit pause on my iPod to re listen to a few bars he spit as the beat dropped in this track. At about 1:17 he gets his Twista on with a tongue-twister line that will blow your mind. Wow. He spits some shit that I swear I would type if I could make it out. Shit I'm bout to e-mail his ass and ask him what he is saying, it's not like he is just babblin', he is saying some shit but it's so fast I ain't even gonna try and butcher his lyricism here. Just check it out, the part is crazy!

Now to the reason why I even fuck with Rumorz, "Cryin." This beat is perfect, his flow and message on this track is ill too. His voice tone and delivery is perfect for this track too. He spits a heartfelt apology about trying to make a change, and talks in depth about what seems like some deeply personal issues in his life. Not too many quote ables here, but on tracks like this a emcee doesn't need to wow you with their lyrical prowess. Tracks like this show versatility in a emcee, and I love it. To me this is what makes or breaks a emcee, cause check it, as a emcee, yeah we all good with the words, but can you make a song. Club song, check. Callab track, check. Lyrical track, check. But can you MAKE people FEEL your music, and to relate to your audience and to make them think on tracks like this is exceptional, and he did so, bravo Rumorz. Another note able track on The Whisper Campaign that explains further what I am talking about is "Stuck" featuring Rayne.

Other note able tracks on the album are the album closer "My Thoughts" and "What It Look Like." So what's the verdict. Well, the iPod test says 7/12 songs make the iPod cut off. Most of the songs I went into in depth coverage on are the ones that made it to the iPod, and nowadays a album with 7 solid bangers should be considered a great find. I say Rumorz has what it takes to make his mark on the game, and I recommend this album highly especially at the current state of hip-hop. With all these mixtape rappers releasing mixtapes every week and seeming to not put time and energy into everything they do, I offer you The Whisper Campaign. Shh, don't sleep, fuck it, don't even whisper, this shit is hot.

Purchase The Whisper Campaign Here
Album also available for purchase on iTunes (check iTunes Ministore)
Rumorz Myspace

Hip-Hop is Dead; Are Mixtapes to blaim?

Aight, I have been thinking, first off Nas came up with a good idead for a LP. But I don't think Nas is nessesarily talking about candy ass bubble gum pop / hip-hop saturated all over the radio. I don't think Nas is referencing the South's rise to the top. I guess I can't really talk about what he means, but here is why I think Hip-Hop isn't as fun as it once was, not dead, by far not dead, but being hurt bigtime.

The Mixtape killed Hip-Hop, or is killing, hurting whatever you call it.

Not the leaking of album tracks per se, cause that has always been a form of Hip-Hop, the bootleggers, getting to hear parts of albums on mixtapes was always ill. Like when you'd hear a new Biggie track or Nas joint, or NORE joint bac in the day on Clue tape, a few freestyles here and there, but nothin' crazy. Now everyone is a DJ, everyone is a mixtape DJ's, DJ's who never even touched a turntable making "mixtapes" or every artist, every new artist it seems has to release a "mixtape" which is wack to me honestly.

Yeah, I like to hear some ill hip-hop, I like to here a mufucka tear up a industry beat everyonce and a while, but let's be real, ain't too many people rippin' tapes like in the 90's, I mean really, Fab in his prime, Joe Budden & Cassidy in there prime just rippin' mixtapes, and Lil Wayne is rippin' them and has been for years, but I'm sayin everyone is releasing mixtapes, I mean rappers have like 15 mixtapes before a album, and I understand they just tryna grind, but shit Papoose ain't did ONE LP, dude got 78.2 mixtapes on the streets. I mean whatever happened to making music, and saving the tracks for the albums and shit.

This is why mufuckas ain't excited for Papoose, or any other artist who has like 59 mixtapes out, cause you feel like, man I heard that mufucka on 890 songs already, and he just aight, I mean shit there is no anticipation for these mufuckas anymore, I mean mufuckas in the streets might wanna hear that new freestyle or whatever, but these mufuckas are over-saturating the market.

Mixtapes are being overdone, everyone's doing it, it's kinda sad, cause very rarely now will Hip-Hop run into a new release, or a new artist to release a highly-anticipated album. Nowadays artists want to start off as a mogul, you have to establish yourself in the industry before you can model clothing lines, start clothing lines, get a label (I mean you might get a label, but if you are the only artist on your label that anyone has remotely heard of, you aren't really a label). Mixtapes worked for 50 Cent, and a few other select artists, but just because it worked for 50 Cent that doesn't mean it will work for you. 50 Cent also had Dr. Dre & Eminem behind him as well, so please realize, if you are a artist out there, the mixtape will not solidify your spot in hip-hop.

Make songs, complete songs. Learn how to write songs, hooks, pick good beats, don't just rap with your boys, surround yourself with good talent. Mixtapes are a good vehicle, but they are being overly-used, and are in turn only destroying slowly our genre of music. Don't follow 50's footsteps, you aren't 50, no one is but him.

This is not directly aimed at anyone, just something that was on my mind. I know where you coming from Nas, cause at times I can agree with your new album title.