Review courtesy of www.cmcentral.com:
"From collaborating with Grits on one track for their debut CD, to now being the subject of international demand, it's been a surprisingly fast rise for the artist formerly known as Knowdaverbs. He's shortened that moniker down to simply Verbs, and now he's back for his anticipated third album, Unlocked, which seems to hold the keys for bridging hip-hop culture with life's ultimate meaning.
Verbs' music has always relied a little more on pop song structures than many of his hip-hop brethren, which serves to make his stuff more accessible to wider audiences than most hardcore rap music. Nonetheless, even the most snobbish hip-hop aficionado should be impressed with Verbs' spectacular new beats, sure-footed delivery, and scorching rhymes that he seemingly pulls out of a magic hat at the last moment.
The album tackles many a tricky subject, such as being a slave to sin and how it makes you feel -- both good and bad ("She's Ms.Sin," which features guest vocals by Lisa Kimmey), the difficulties of falling in love and then realizing the one you're in love with is not "the one" ("Love Triangle"), the ridiculous lengths we go to to figure out who we are and find ourselves (the amped-up "Expensive Games," which features Grits and Nirva), and taking ownership of your actions because they have consequences in eternity (the terrific "What You Rock Now?"). "Neighborhood" tells stories of inner-city natives who have risen above their circumstances. "The Before and After" can't help but be the album's most poignant track, since it was inspired by 9/11. Never mentioning the 11th directly, it instead cleverly contrasts what life looked like on the normally hectic bustle of September 10, with the numb disbelief and horror of September 12.
Hip-hop continues to thrive because it is an artform where any topic imaginable is fair game, and it's usually spoken with an everyman, streetsmart wisdom. Verbs has nailed this formula, combining can't-keep-your-feet-still beats with intelligent, penetrating insights into the woes of modern man."
(Album cover courtesy of Gotee Records.)
10/20/03