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A big man with a microphone that doesn’t bite
B.I.G.’s style! A west coast cat that doesn’t
spend all his time bangin’ on wax! East coast
sensibility sprinkled with a definite west coast
love. That’s what you get with newcomer, Los
Angeles based 4-Zone, whose debut
album My Turn will soon
be all the rage.
Fans of the Sound Providers will delight in the
buoyant, danceable nature of “Bottoms Up,”
its heavily jazzed up sample just begging you
to move. On the other hand, true spitters will
be impressed by the moving, head nodding nature
of “Let’s Go,” its prominent
percussion belying its west coast origins.
The first single, “Bounce,” with
its rolling bass line and subtle piano riff, as
well as its recurring chorus (“bounce, rock,
skate, move…I just wanna know if this is
banging!”), could easily be entered into
the Radio 1190 Bassmentalism mix. While “Lap
Dance” with Interrogator, and “Off
Safety” featuring Styles of Beyond—the
only two of these15 tracks with guest spots—qualify
4-Zone for his legitimate independent MC card.
In fact, “Lap Dance” might even find
a spot for itself in the clubs. “Dippin’”
might remind you of early Liquid crew Xzibit,
hard and lyrical at the same time, but definitely
a west coast original.
Having paid his dues alongside SOB, and even
appearing in the company of such legendary names
as Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, and Rahzel in the
2002 documentary Breathe Control—The
History of the Human Beat Box, and because
of his exemplary Beat Box skills, 4-Zone is ready
for his spotlight. Production from up-and-coming
producers like Oliver Twist and
Fastrack, and consistent tracks
from talents like DJ Cheapshot
and Vin Skully (Styles of Beyond),
keeps the album sonically entertaining. Plus,
the Monopoly themed packaging is just way cool.
It is 4-Zone’s turn, let him spin.
www.4zonelive.com
-D Tha Man, April 11, 2006
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