Lyrics Born Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Bay Area rapper Lyrics Born has never followed -- or tried to follow -- the typical musical route, first with his work with Lateef as Latyrx and continuing though his decision to back himself with a funk band during his shows, even releasing a live album (a rare thing in hip-hop) in 2006. Not content, apparently, to rest on the platform he made for himself, the Anti-issued Everywhere at Once moves even further away from the idea of the producer/MC team, using a band and plenty of background vocals to create something that ends up sounding a lot more like Gnarls Barkley's latest proclamation than anything rap related. Melody's of utmost importance here, so much so that Lyrics Born's already-singsongy rapping becomes nearly undistinguishable from the sung parts, to which he, his wife Joyo Velarde, and a cadre of others perform. It's not that he can't deliver on vocals, but as the first half of album plays as an almost-continuous track, with the instrumental parts hardly changing from song to song, Everywhere at Once takes on the regrettable feel of the new wave of jam bands, one on which the rapper gives his usual spiel on how he's persevered, which honestly, three albums in, is starting to get a little tired. To his credit, as things progress, Lyrics Born does incorporate new sounds and ideas, but unfortunately these decisions don't always end up being good ones. "Do U Buy It?," for example, is an awkward "Funplex"-era B-52's rip-off and "Top Shelf" is only lacking a vocoder to be the next T-Pain hit. He's all over the place (similarly to Snoop on the equally messy Ego Trippin'), from slow-drawled rhymes to faster funk pieces, which means that when something does come together -- the slow, jazzy "The Skin I'm In" or the perfect Odd Couple-complement "I Can't Decide (Everywhere at Once)" -- it seems accidental, even haphazard, that given enough chances something good's got to come out. Lyrics Born has always gotten by on being casually himself, no matter what he's doing, and that's in fact why Everywhere at Once doesn't work: it doesn't seem like Lyrics Born anymore. Sure, there are moments of personal insight and catchy hooks, but the album seems forced, the efforts of someone who's become so concerned with breaking out of boxes that he's forgotten sometimes, he still needs one to hold things in. In doing so, sadly, Everywhere at Once is reminiscent of what's already been done, either by the rapper himself or by another artist, almost derivative of itself, and as a whole, altogether disappointing. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
'Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live!'
Release Date 10/9/2006
Tracks 20
Label Jam
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Long known for his dynamic live performance, Quannum rapper (and "first ever Asian astronaut") Lyrics Born finally gives those fans who haven't experienced one of his shows what they've missed on Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live! Taken from two August 2005 concerts in Australia, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne (the 28th and the 26th, respectively), LB, with help from his funk band and wife/backup singer Joyo Velarde, runs through most of the tracks from his two solo albums, as well as two from his Latyrx days ("Aim for the Flickering Flame" and "Lady Don't Tek No"). The rapper, who utilizes his singsongy delivery during shows, is good at energizing his audience, making sure they're as excited and into the music as he is, even if it means, as in the case of "Calling Out," stopping mid-sentence and starting the song over. It's clearly a practiced technique, but it works, as evidenced by the wild cheering at the end of his sets. Thanks to the band, who's not afraid to groove, and the numerous shout outs, the versions of the tracks on Overnite Encore are longer than those on the albums, but both Lyrics Born and the band -- the bass, guitar, keys, and drums -- are funky and engaging enough that nothing seems to drag on, as often happens on live recordings. It would be expected, because of the presence of the band, that "I Changed My Mind," which he originally performed with the German Poets of Rhythm, would be on the record, but Lyrics Born has a deep enough repertoire that its exclusion isn't missed too much, and the bonus studio tracks at the end -- the dark, pulsing "Knock Knock," "L-I-F-E," featuring Bay Area rapper Mistah F.A.B., "I'm Just Raw (Reopened & Remixed)," which has extra verses from Pigeon John and Del tha Funkee Homosapien -- are nice reminders of the MC's versatility. The entire set is fresh, and very fun, showing off the depth of his talents and how well they transfer to the stage, and is a necessity for any Lyrics Born fan, those who have seen him live or not. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
'Later That Day...'
Release Date 10/7/2003
Tracks 17
Label Quannum Projects
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Though Later That Day... is his first solo album, Lyrics Born had been a hip-hop wunderkind for over a decade by the time of the album's release. Granted the first single on SoleSides (the flip side of which launched DJ Shadow's career), LB earned much respect during the late '90s, fronting Latyrx and contributing a few tracks to the underground rap showcase Quannum Spectrum. Later That Day..., programmed and produced virtually alone over the course of several years, features the same dark, bluesy jams that made his tracks on Spectrum a delightful alternative to the hip-hop on display. This record doesn't possess any hooks to match classics like Latyrx's "Lady Don't Tek No" or his Quannum groove "I Changed My Mind," but his programming smarts are still in effect, and the heavy clap of a Latyrx track crops up several times. A parade of West Coast friends drop by for collaborations -- including Gift of Gab, Cut Chemist, Joyo Velarde (also his domestic partner), and former Latyrx partner Lateef the Truth Speaker -- though LB is the star of the show. Often an amazing vocalist, his style of rapping (closer to Mark Murphy than Posdnuos) is a growling sing-speak that flirts with virtually every known vocal trick -- cadence, inflection, hesitation, running scales, and so on. Mostly he pulls it off, though several tracks (including "Rise and Shine") feature him delivering speed raps with a few extra feet to his lines. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
