Thursday, October 30, 2008

6th Sense & Wildabeast are... Both Nice (ALBUM REVIEW)


Yes, some important writers got to hear an advance of the album. Here's a review.

By David Medina – Medina Ink

I step into my listening booth, settle into my chair, press play on the new collaborative album from 6th Sense and Wildabeast, entitled Both Nice, and I expect good music. What I experienced, however, was something greater, something that took me on a journey I didn’t know I wanted to go on. Reppin’ the Notherground Music camp, these two gentlemen bring their souls to the table for all to witness. With numerous albums and mix tapes under their belt, 6th and Wil came together to show and prove they are here to stay and contribute quality art to the musical landscape.

On the opening self-titled track, a cinematic voice begins to introduce legendary duos in Hip Hop, releasing the fondest memories of some of the greatest to do it. The ease from which 6th and Wildabeast flow on the track proves the album title. It’s a great introduction to a duo that puts their stock in the music they create. It’s simply a taste for what’s to come.

As the record spins through the boom-bap of “Aite Bet”, the melodic “AM Set” and the electro “Arcade Fly”, you begin to get the sense that this is no ordinary album. The sonic backdrops created by 6th Sense bring you to new heights and moods. His palette offers a broad range without sounding like affected experimentation but rather organic treats for your ears. The musicality of this album is well rounded in its influence, which works because there’s nothing 6th and Wil aren’t willing to rock on.

The lyrics are ferocious and succinct, running the gamut from personal thoughts and struggles to kick you in the face freestyling and wordplay. On the speedy, junglistic “Live It Down”, 6th kicks – “tell you what it iiiis/like four I’s and one S/one heart from one chest/it all starts from one breath/cuz one’s art is one’s flesh”. That’s the truth as this duo creates what comes from the soul with no apologies for who they are. Wildabeast has a unique flow measured by his ability to simply have a conversation with the listener as he spits on “What Kinda” – “this is a deep confession/I’m here to teach a lesson/I’m feeling deep depression/I know I need a blessing/I need to find the answer but I repeat the question”. It is these moments on the album that connect to the spirit artistically and emotionally, leaving everything on the track.

This record pushes forward, bringing out a powerful awareness to limitless creativity. 6th Sense and Wildabeast have this ability to let the art form breathe by expanding and challenging themselves thus challenging the listeners. Hitting every point on the map, Both Nice is truly a piece of music that maintains its integrity and energy. Plus, it has oodles and oodles of styles you can’t miss.

The music of 6th Sense and Wildabeast penetrates your life with a subtleness that can only be created by a synergy. The kind you feel when you’re on your way to see the family you love or when you’re chilling with your homies in the living room, laughter filling the air. It crosses all barriers, a three-dimensional picture that shows the range of a human being. When I feel I can kick it with the artist I’m listening to, they are touching on something that speaks above the music: the heart. This is why in my book, 6th Sense and Wildabeast are…

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