It’s evident why he and his crew don the title of Pro Club. Even without the million dollar beats and makeshift studio, Mr. V rarely shows sign of an amateur new to the craft. His lyrical acumen rivals that of your favorite rapper; it may even surpass it. Still, I expected little more than a mediocre experience from Light Blue Heavy Green – the kind most often associated with mixtapes. Instead, what I got was a defining moment in an inevitably promising catalogue of work. LBHG is simply, for lack of more prolific words, good. Really good.
Of course, given the chaotic and often incoherent nature of mixtapes, Light Blue Heavy Green is best judged on a track-to-track basis. The usual conventions are present: a concoction of borrowed beats that lend themselves as canvases to catchy hooks and half-improvised bars. To his credit, Mr. V’s selection of instrumentals is so obscure it leads to a rather fresh experience. With the exception of a few, you may have a difficult time distinguishing what’s original from what’s borrowed. Regardless of origin, they nearly all incorporate funky retro soul rhythm and scratchy samples – no synths here, folks.
The limited guest appearances are an added and much welcomed bonus. The foolish anomalies that normally plague tapes – inexperienced rap buddies trying to get shine; DJ’s vicariously blaring in and out of the chorus – are all nonexistent. Everyone fits perfectly into their respective roles. On one instance, almost too perfectly. “Good Love” finds Mr. V alongside R&B crooner Danni Bay – a match that playfully borders voyeurism:
The trunk quakes but it ain’t the bass that shakes the car
Sometimes we get confused as to who we are
We like to make music but at times we two movie stars
Quite the innuendo indeed. Equally stellar is the Shay-J assisted “Bebe Kidz”. The two relentlessly ride the beat – no chorus – for 4 minutes straight. “Your sister’s mother/calls me undercover brother/’cus she likes to have a lover to love her/besides her lover/but I don’t lover her,” Shay rhymes. Yet the best collaboration comes from the most unlikely of places: producer Nuri. Though he crafted only 5 of the 18 tracks, they are by far some of the best both sonically and lyrically. The combination between V and Nuri is so organic that it’s easily comparable to that of Kanye and Common; 9th Wonder and Little Brother; Dr. Dre and Eminem.
Mr. V at one point boasts that he “writes rhymes for the seeing impaired/when his voice hits their ears/their vision is cleared”. The true verdict still remains to be determined, but Light Blue Heavy Green serves as a great introduction to what will likely be an absurdly polished album. Aside from condoms at the student health center, this is one of the best things you’ll get for free this summer.
Fork In The Road:
Might Be Gone (Feat. Danni Bay):
You Can't Lose:
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