Devine Carama
Legacy Minded Men
*** out of *****
The newest full length release from the Lexington, Kentucky based MC Devine Carama finds the politically active artist dealing with very modern issues that have deep historical roots. Legacy Minded Men uses retro sounding beats to examine society, boasting, while also trying to facilitate some positive change.
Carama brought in the Brooklyn based producer Aesthetic to work on all the beats for the album and that single vision helps link the full record. Anesthetic's deep bass beats sound straight from the mid-90's with piano accents, menacing overtones and record scratches prominently featured.
After an intro that talks about getting heat from everyone and maintaining, Carama uses a distorted mic effect to drop rhymes over dramatic big beats, gospel choirs and piano samples on "Change Agent Part 2" while "Battle Tested" goes old school with braggadocio rhymes, sports references and ominous deep speaker shakers.
The first guest arrives on "The Goat featuring Bakinsoda Blu" as Bakinsoda Blu juxtaposes Carama more hyper vocal style with a smoother laid back tone but the overall tune runs on too long. The odd vocal sample that clips on "Next Right Thing featuring Terry Dumphord" is distracting, taking away from the positive message. Better is the direct haunting beat tension of "24 Bars of Clarity" as Carama just digs in and runs with it before a fired up preacher wraps up the short track.
That sense of belief in Jesus, which keeps Carama on his righteous path floats through the gospel sounds of "Walk With Me Featuring Tony Wavy" as well as the bumping personal story tale "God Over Everything featuring Bryce Jamel & C. Dunn". Ending or starting tracks with spoken can be a bit odd, (such as on the easy flowing "Fly With Me") but for the most part the album maintains a consistent flow.
The record ends strong with the flushed out "Devine, I Love You featuring Joslyn Hampton" as a head bopping beat, gorgeous backing vocals and 'in this together' rhymes work perfectly. Devine Carama tries to stay sane and fight the good fight throughout Legacy Minded Men.
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