This album was released on January 1st this year. Daniel Son is an MC with whom I became familiar through his work with guys like Lord Juco, Rome Streetz & Buckwild. He’s another artist contributing to the wave of street-oriented Hip Hop that’s seen a rise in the past half-decade. This’ll be my second time listening to a project from him. The first release from him that I ever heard was a collaborative EP with a producer named Cuns entitled DOJO, which was pretty great. Definitely check that shit out if you haven’t yet. As far as Futurewave goes, I’ve only heard his beats on Rome Streetz projects in the past, but I’ve been very impressed by what I’ve heard. With that in mind, I have no reason to believe that I won’t enjoy the hell out of this album. I’m expecting greatness. Hopefully I’m not disappointed.

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The album begins with Son Rise, which has an awesome, very shimmery, glistening beat. I love the percussion here. Daniel Son killed the first verse too. He had a really nice five-syllable rhyme scheme going at one point.

I be the man of the hour
All the wolves starving, your plans get devoured
They got they hands out, I got the hand with the power, grams and the powder
Out in New England mixin' clams with the chowder

I really like the way Daniel Son sounds on the mic too. He’s got a great voice. I feel like this is what billy woods would sound like if he had a more traditional flow. Of course the lyrical content is completely different, but I’m just comparing their voices. Anyway, there’s really nothing I don’t like about this track. I don’t know who I’m more impressed by between Daniel Son & Futurewave. They both did a great job here. The song is dope. The following track is entitled Full Moon. Once again, I’m really impressed by Futurewave’s production. The percussion is super hard-hitting here, and the primary loop is really pretty. It’s a very sparkly, shiny, yet somehow gritty instrumental. I think it’s dope as hell. Daniel Son sounds awesome on the verse too.

Find me in the shadows where the cruisers roam
I see them coming, still I'm throwin' lasers through the zone
Nowadays they sound the same, I don't know who's a clone
That new pack got 'em chokin' like a tuna bone

I think I misquoted some of those bars, but I did my best. Daniel Son actually reminded me more of Recognize Ali on this track. Anyway, this is another really dope track to me. The production and rapping are fire, and I even like the hook. I think one more verse probably could’ve pushed this song to the next level for me, but it’s still a dope track as it is. I fuck with it. The following song is called Field Trips, and this was one of the most exciting tracks for me since it features Rome Streetz. I think the production is awesome, and Rome killed the first verse.

Takin' trips for the bag deep in the land
Where a snake could be your man, and it's real easy to get a toe tag
Hard to slow down, I'm accustomed to makin' dough fast
Ounce, quarter, half, a whole slab
Seen six figures off the shit I cook up in the lab
Took a path others ain't fit to follow
You either eat or starve, sit in sorrow
Not promised to get tomorrow
So today I need all of my shit before I click it on you

The hook is pretty solid, and the second verse from Daniel Son is great as well. I consider Rome Streetz to be one of the best contemporary gangsta rappers, but I actually think Daniel Son had a slightly better performance. I mean, it’s definitely close. I feel like my preference will probably change depending on my mood, but as of 5:01 AM on January 1st, I think Daniel Son had the best performance on the song. I’m honestly mostly impressed by Futurewave though. The beat is fantastic. This is definitely my favorite song up to this point on the record. I think it’s really dope. Track 4 is called Nostrildamus, which I think is a pretty clever title. I was actually blown away by Futurewave’s production on this track. I think the beat is fucking awesome. Daniel Son sounds fantastic over it too. The first verse is great. The beat sounds like it has a slight alteration for the second verse, which I really appreciated. I’m really glad this song had more than just one verse too. I think the hook is pretty good. There’s really nothing that I don’t like about this song. It’s definitely a highlight for me on the album. I think it’s dope as hell. Death & Taxes is another one of the more exciting tracks on the project for me just because it features Pro Dillinger. I’ve never written about Pro Dillinger before, but every single verse I’ve heard from him in the past 12 months has been fire. He slaughtered his feature on that latest Jedi Mind Tricks album. Definitely check that shit out if you haven’t yet. Anyway, the production on this track is really nice. It’s pretty melodic, and slightly less gritty-sounding than the preceding instrumentals. The percussion is still very hard-hitting though. The first verse from Pro Dillinger is great.

I'm from where it happens at, where all the action's at
I'm trapped inside a jungle, this my habitat
Nothin' to smile about lately, fuck is you laughin' at?
I'm where the trappers at, you see the fiends through the cabbage patch

Daniel Son sounds a lot like Recognize Ali on this track to me. I think he’s a more interesting MC than Ali though. His verse was really nice.

Them body shots caught him in the liver
Got a thousand different words for how I brought 'em in the picture
The actions speak louder, they talk and we deliver
How they gonna chalk him at the bottom of a river?

The song is really dope. The following track is called Hallelujah, and it has one of the jazziest beats on the album. I think the production here is awesome. There’s only one verse on this song from Daniel Son, but it’s pretty goddamn long, so I don’t mind. It’s a very good verse. The hook is pretty solid too. I’m honestly mostly impressed by the production on this song though. I think the jazzy beat is really fantastic. The song is dope. Track 7 is a highlight called Third Eye, and it’s another one of the more exciting tracks for me because it features Flee Lord. Once again, the production is top notch, and the first verse from Daniel Son is great. I think this song has one of the better hooks on the album too. I think Flee Lord’s verse is pretty awesome as well. He’s probably got my favorite feature on the whole project, which is saying a lot. There’s really nothing about this song that I don’t like. It’s one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. I think it’s dope as hell. It’s followed by Stove Dance, which is another highlight. Once again, I’m really impressed by Futurewave’s production. I like how there’s minimal percussion here. Daniel Son sounds great over it too. There’s a pretty nasty beat switch about halfway through the track, and when them drums finally come in???

Daniel Son killed this shit too. He had a nice four-syllable rhyme scheme going for a while.

I mean nothin' less, I put a squeeze on the neck
Hard to breathe in the city, bunch of demons of death
Ricochet hit your leg, make you lean to the left
Fiends circle right back, try increase the effect
'Bout to drop some new fire, this for all the old fans
Smoke a blunt, watch the flame on the stove dance
Keep a hammer and we hold hands like a romance
Springfield in the pocket of the low pants

This is easily one of the best songs on the album. There’s nothing I don’t love about it. I think it’s dope af. The penultimate track is called Talk to Yourself, and it has yet another amazing beat from Futurewave. I mean, part of me definitely sees how the high-pitched horns could get annoying to some listeners, but I don’t mind it that much personally. With that said, this is probably the least replayable song for me. Both of the verses from Daniel Son on this track are great though, and I like the hook too. This definitely isn’t one of my favorite tracks on the album, but I still fuck with it. I think it’s pretty good. The closing song is entitled Son Set, and it features an artist with whom I was previously unfamiliar named Saipher Soze. This song probably has the darkest beat on the whole project, which I appreciate. I think the beat’s awesome. The first verse is from Daniel Son, and he sounds great here.

Find me countin' cake out somewhere by the mountain lake
We cheffed it up at an astounding rate
Leave the driver, sit outside the lounge and wait
Flounder with the steak, shorty still got some powder on her face

I was pretty impressed by Saipher Soze’s performance as well. I’m definitely gonna have to keep an eye on future releases from him because he’s dope. This is another one of the better songs on the album in my opinion. I think it’s dope as hell, and a great way to close the project.

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^{This album is great. I think it’s one of the best produced projects I’ve heard in a while. Futurewave’s beats here are fantastic. There’s not a single instrumental that I wasn’t impressed by. I love the drums on this thing. Daniel Son rapped very well over every track here too. There’s not a single wack verse on the album. I feel like Daniel Son is one of those rappers whom I can count on to rap well on every verse, so it’s really up to the producer to help him craft a dope song. Him and Futurewave are one hell of a duo. I also was impressed by every feature on this album. I really don’t have any consistent gripes with this project. Every single song is enjoyable to me. It’s a dope album. Check it out.}

Favorite Song: Stove Dance
Least Favorite Song: Talk to Yourself

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