Don’t sleep on this latest album from Paradime. It was released on September 22nd this year by Mello Music Group. I first became familiar with Paradime when he was featured on Apollo Brown’s Sincerely, Detroit album in 2019. I had never heard any of his solo material until MMG started promoting this latest album from him. From what I understand, he’s a Detroit legend who was on a hiatus for over a decade, so this is his comeback album. I wasn’t really sure to what extent I would enjoy this record, but as I was listening to it I came to the conclusion that I would have to tell y’all about it because it seems to be falling under the radar.

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This isn’t really a full review, so I’m only gonna be talking about some of my favorite tracks, but it should be noted that there aren’t any songs on this album that I don’t like. The first song I wanna talk about is the title track, Period., which is produced by Pig Pen & DJ Los.

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This was a really nice way to be introduced to Paradime’s skills. The first thing I noticed is that he has a really good voice for rapping. He just sounds great on the mic. I feel like the hard, piano-driven instrumental on this track wouldn’t sound as good as it does if Paradime had a lighter, more feathery voice. The first verse is pretty awesome. The dude really knows how to pack a lot of rhymes into each line really well.

Dime, bitch
Forty five but liver than I
Was in what I would call my prime, 2008 or '09
I'm feelin' myself and I'm afraid that at this rate I'll go blind
It's unavoidable the way I flow rhyme

That reference to the myth about how people who masturbate too much go blind was really clever. This song honestly grew on me a lot. I liked it when it was first released as a single, but it’s even more enjoyable to me in the context of the full album. Paradime’s methodical flow and dense rhyme schemes over this hard-hitting piano-driven beat just sound really great. Again, it helps that his voice is so good for rapping. This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and it had me excited to hear what the other tracks would sound like. I think it’s dope as hell. The next highlight I wanna talk about is called Heart on Tape, and it’s one of the more emotional tracks on the record, which is why it resonated with me so much. Honestly, this is probably my favorite song on the album. The melodic, rich, detailed, and heavy production from Wayne Gerard sounds great, and Paradime’s somber vocal delivery fits over it perfectly. The poetic lyricism about how he wishes he could sing is awesome too.

I wish I had the type of pipes like John Legend
No more chunky Jon B., I think his time's ended
There's too much inside that moves me, music that soothes me
And frankly I think I've done enough abuse to this looseleaf
I wish that I could translate this ocean of devotion
To push the motion of my pen into this notebook
And my voice could be the castaway to say what I have to say
If just for a half a day I could be Donny Hathaway

It’s funny because he sings at multiple points throughout this album, including on this track, and it honestly sounds really good every time. The electric guitar that comes in at certain points throughout this song is really nice too. This is kind of random, but I feel like Slug would be a perfect feature for this song. This is the kinda production I wanna hear him over. It’s a shame that the quality of Ant’s beats has gone downhill, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, as I said before, this is probably my favorite song on the album. I think it’s fire. The next highlight is another really emotional track called September 22nd. This is definitely the emotional climax of the record. Shit. I might actually like this more than Heart on Tape. The lyrical content about his relationship with alcohol is really moving.

20 plus years down the drain
20 plus years of me pouting and drowning pain
20 plus years of things starting to sound the same
It's like I found I was proud to be ashamed of you
Wait, turn around, let me explain
I know you never strayed
You were there at every attempt at this fame
Every time I touched a stage
When I was too afraid to get on planes
You held my hand and told me that it's okay

Honestly, the more I listen to this song, the more I love it. I think Paradime knocked the concept out of the park. The way he kinda structured this track in which he reflects on his past relationship with alcohol as a breakup song was really smart. The rich, somber production from Charlie Beans is excellent too. This is honestly one of my favorite songs of the year. I think this shit is amazing. Track 15 is called Dumn, and it features production from Mr. Porter. In terms of Paradime’s flow, this is the most energetic, upbeat song on the record. I think Mr. Porter is one of the most underrated producers out right now, and this beat certainly lived up to my expectations. Paradime fucking killed the verses too.

I ain't never had red bottoms (man, wait!), one time I got 'em
That's when I was coming out the club, and I stepped in the bouncer's blood after somebody shot 'em

That’s so fucking hard. I love it. This is definitely one of the most exciting songs on the project just because it has this energy to it that really helps it stand out. I think it’s dope as hell. The penultimate track is called Phlegm, and it features production and rapping from Copywrite. The beat is honestly fantastic, and Paradime killed the first verse.

Part bucktooth monster truck dude, part Krush Groove
Baby blue tux, snub tucked in the Ugg boot
So look at life and chuck deuces
I'm ahead, touch your back on my Duck, Duck, Goose shit
Like a nor'easter to an Eastern bound Norwegian, shrewd shit
Sit back and watch how these loose lips do shit
This dude's spit will bust through bricks like toothpicks
When these lungs ring guess who's gon' sing, one huge bitch

I think I misquoted that fifth line, but, as you can see, he rhymed his ass off. Copywrite fucking slaughtered that second verse too. That’s one of the best features I’ve heard all year honestly. I think he had the best feature on this record. His aggressive flow and vocal delivery was phenomenal. This is definitely one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. I think it’s awesome. The closing track is one last highlight called Make My Way. This one’s produced by Wayne Gerard, and, once again, I think Slug would sound perfect on this beat. I wasn’t familiar with Wayne Gerard prior to checking out this album, and this is probably random as hell, but now I want him to produce a Slug album. Anyway, I think this was the optimal manner in which Paradime could’ve ended the album. It has kind of a cheerful, celebratory-sounding instrumental, and the sung hook sounds really good. I really like the way this track is structured too. The hook bookends one long ass verse that’s really well written. I was definitely satisfied with this as an outro to the album. I think it’s dope as hell.

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^{This album is great. Paradime is honestly another one of my favorite discoveries of 2023. I mean, like I said earlier, I heard his feature on Sincerely, Detroit, but PERIOD. feels more like a real introduction to his artistry. Shoutout to Mello Music Group for putting this guy on my radar. I think it’s really impressive that he made an album that’s just over an hour in length that has zero skippable songs for me. Paradime is just a really great writer, and his voice is fantastic for rapping. My favorite songs were the more heartfelt, reflective tracks, but, like I said, there aren’t any tracks that I don’t like. Hopefully we don’t have to wait over a decade for the next Paradime album because even though this one’s over an hour long it still left me wanting more. Check this shit out and let me know what you think in the comments below. I think it’s dope.}

Favorite Song: September 22nd
Least Favorite Song: Folded Hands / The Trap

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