Equipped “ReSurface”

Equipped “ReSurface”
Indie
Released: 2008
Review by: a. praiser
Committee Rating: 3.46 (of 5)
[xrr rating=3.46/5]

Resurfaced? Hmm.. that was an interesting title to me considering I had never seen or heard of E Quipped before. Welcome to another pleasant surprise. A CD I actually liked.. lol.

Seriously. At first I wasn’t sure if I had ever heard of E Quipped but then I remember hearing him on a Beatlab compilation. I couldn’t remember much of it but the name struck me as familiar. I was a little unsure of what to expect on this CD after reading the credits and noticing that he wrote and produced almost all of the songs. Not an easy task in hip hop. After a while everything starts to sound the same. That was the case with the songs “Make Me. Mold Me. Use Me,” and the track that followed it, “The Remedy”. They were so similar that the second track almost sounded like an extension of the first track.

However, hip hop lovers beware, the brother has lyrical skills that shine throughout the project. Each track compliments each song perfectly. His semi-singing like flow adds a color of musicality that is sometimes lacking in Gospel hip hop nowadays. Speaking of Gospel, this CD could be classified as a handbook to all ministers out there looking for encouragement and instruction on how to live, act and minister according to the Word of God.

At times I found myself saying, “Hmmmm.. the average un-churched hip hop head might not understand what’s going on.  However, the true hip hop head will definitely appreciate the artistry, confidence and passion displayed in each track.”

There were several collaborations on the  CD that worked seamlessly with E Quipped’s style. None over powered him and none sounded like they should have been cut.

One of my favorite tracks on this 22 track CD was the “Make Me. Mold Me. Use Me” track which starts with a worship version of the hook called “Make Me. Mold Me. Use Me. (prelude)”. It’s great when a rapper shows their musical ability and their heart for worship as well on the same project. The opening track with the skit of a child waking his father up to “Praise the Lord” was a nice touch too.

Without getting to critical on the review or over emphasizing any particular points, the best I can say is that “Resurfaced” by E Quipped is definitely one of those CDs that you will purchase and play straight through without hitting fast forward or skip.

The project is laced with high quality productions that actually make sense and compliment the songs they were used for. You know what I mean? It never sounds as if he just downloaded instrumentals and spit over them. This brother took time to make sure each song is a complete musical composition.

So, since this is the first CD E Quipped has out, I eagerly anticipate new stuff from him. My guess is that it can only get better. The use of a few different producers on the next project will probably add a little more shine to the crafty rap flows but, overall, for his first full length CD…. it was not a bad project at all. I think I will keep this one in my iPod. (smile).

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Review Committee
Review by: a. praiser

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