The Slickness:Prince Po

Title: The Slickness

Label: Lex

Genre: hip-hop

Rating: 5.75 of 7

This is the first solo album from Prince Po (formerly Prince Poetry), one half of the 90s rap duo Organized Konfusion, along with Pharoahe Monch. When rap artists go solo after being in a successful group, the results vary, some good (for example Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean from the Fugees), and some bad (Pras from the Fugees). Prince Po definitely belongs in the former, because his new album on the budding hip-hop label Lex will not only appeal to fans of the straight-up radio and club-friendly hip-hop, but also to the underground cats looking for experimentation and originality. This is much thanks to Po’s slew of prestigious guests, including producers Madlib, Danger mouse, Jel and J-Zone, along with mcs Raekwon, Jemini, Rel and MF Doom among others. Every track is decent at the least and consists of upbeat, raw and slightly jazzy beats with Po’s quick, Queens-based vocal stylings. He most resembles Redman in actual intonation, but comes off as a quick MF Doom or Vast Aire lyrically. I think the album peaks on “Fall Back” as Po exchanges rhymes with Jemini the Gifted One and Cairo as Danger mouse drops a funky beat accented by triumphant horns. This is definitely worth a spin for anyone into hip-hop.

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