Redlist & Vibe "Cant Catch Me"

"Got Vibes on the Vibes and Redlist on the scribes." That is the simplest and most straight forward way of describing "Cant Catch Me" but if you haven't heard Vibe and/or Redlist this does nothing to help you. So that falls on me to paint a clearer picture of this album. First let me once again say thanks for creating a MC and producer album, any reader of this knows I am a huge fan because of cohesiveness and how it helps to craft an actual album (again this holds true.) Both Redlist and Vibe work well off each other and their styles mesh, in fact often they compliment each other so well it seems like the vocals are an instrument in the beat (or the beat is part of the vocals) something that is far too often not the case. But let's get down to what this album actually sounds like and of course the best way to do that is the old track by track, so here it goes.

"Intro" is a rather straight forward sample of Jack Nicholson (name the movie and you win a prize*)

Haunting keyboards, uplifting keyboards, mixed with hard hitting drum, that is how Vibe begins "Cant Catch Me" before Redlist enters on the mic weaving his words in between the notes of the keyboards. As I keep attempting to write this review (meant to have it down about 5 days ago) Redlist's line keeps playing in my head over and over, "Trying to catch my writer's block but he's like na man you can't catch me." But this track isn't about bloggers who have lost the ability to write coherent and insightful sentences (ok maybe a little "aim low, expect less, you're blessed if you make it off that internet press.") Instead it is about the life of Redlist and so many other "underground" hip hop artists, with a multitude of talents ("jack of many trades") working a 9-5 job, searching the hip hop dream (whatever that entails now, do not know) setting a perfect stage for the rest of this album.

On "Reach for the Skies" Vibe comes with a rather disorienting beat, almost as if a computer was attempting to have a conversation with you (or at least that's how I imagine such vocal exchange would sound, either that or like Hal 9000) ok maybe an underwater guitar, with drums, and synths is a better description, at this point I really do not know but it is surely one dope beat. While Redlist may "notice noone's making money of their records anymore" and knows "creating music is a love and hate relationship, but not enough hate for me to question why I'm making it." That is one of the key elements of this album (that Redlist & Vibe gave away for free) that while they both might get frustrated with the music business and the struggles, there is nothing else they would rather be doing than making quality music.

Any track entitled "The Late Shift" is a track after my own heart (as I sit writing this at 2:30am,) and the song certainly captures the feeling, especially the winding and mind altering beat by Vibe. True hip hop heads will love the lyrics by Redlist as he details the events of his late shift, some good old fashioned tagging.

Then comes "Unlimited" featuring Ordeal, the track I posted about a month ago. Ordeal and Redlist work together very well, providing different vocal sounds while both bring strong lyrics. Vibe works in a soulful beat mixed with ghost like sampled vocals, creating a dreamlike state. I am assuming you have listened to this track but if not check out my post of it here.

On "The Whole Time" Redlist becomes very introspective as he recaps his life, watching it pass by. The first verse shows him as an extrovert, running from the occasional police, where as the second verse begins "the last time I sat and watched my life pass me by, blended in to passerby, just an average citizen, I'm classified an undeveloped mastermind, botched up and bastardized and paralleled, the introverted cast aside, but gee my current state I'm patronized but working hard, my passions died on the bone yard where every last disaster lies." It shows him transforming from a mischievous youth, to the artist he is today. All of this is done over a Vibe beat that works perfectly as a flashback but with added claps to jolt the listener occasionally, making sure you are really paying attention.

Vibe kicks off "Skeptical Handshakes" with, well, some vibes, before Redlist goes in on those who he feels are "fucking with my art form." Instead of the tired, I am hip hop sort of song, Redlist goes a different direction, really focusing on the lyrical content to prove this really is an art form. For example, "where we go from here is beyond my imagination and that says a lot because I am pretty damn creative," and what is one of the deepest insults anyone could say to an artist of any sort "the fire deep inside couldn't breathe, it ran out of oxygen."

"Hourglass Blues" addresses the life of an aspiring MC ranging from dealing with rappers who are "backstabbers that act cool and after that back you, wack dudes, fighting for king of this motherfucking crap shoot, now I catch the bus they threw me under." Not to mention "kind of bittersweet how I try to squeeze in some rapping after working on the weekends, now I tell people that and they're surprised because that don't seem right." Sadly this is a story that holds true for way too many talented artists out there, but then again, it is the life of the artist, always has been and probably always will.

Rich Quick joins Redlist and Vibe on "Coin Toss" (taken from one of the best scenes from any movie in the past decade.) Redlist starts off the track with a wonderful bit of wordage "Ever since forever I set goals and endeavors, never hesitant" over Vibe's rather uplifting beat of strings, choir singing, drums and some horns mixed in because horns rule. Ok at this point I know I am rambling and I apologize, but check out this track, Redlist goes in (as does Rich Quick.)

What starts off as a soul sample played over the radio becomes something totally different as Vibe adds faded drums, horns, and keys on "Poor John." This is Redlist's best straight forward story telling track which until now had been missing from this album, but he comes correct.

"Fuck Your Couch" takes a rather straight forward funky beat by Vibe (guitar and drums) and puts Redlist and Early Adopted on the track for a solid party type of song. So don't look for any deep hidden meaning but don't think there aren't some dope lines such as Redlist's "under lying meaning in between the lines of actions leave you bleeding from your factions, I cut MCs to fractions."

"Alright I know I complain a lot but let me get this off my chest one last time though" so begins "Last" (which believe it or not is not the last track on the album.) While you assume there will be a whole lot of complaining on the song, there really is not much at all (less than most other songs being played everywhere) instead Redlist goes on about why he creates what he does and offers this helpful hint "write every song like it's the last song ever."

When I hear "Stand By" I picture Redlist walking down the street in the rain (due to the use of rain in the beat) talking to himself as he goes in on some of the people he needs to free himself. I picture the collage kid, writing in his journal pouring out his grievances, before he confronts those who have stood in his way and done him wrong.

The album ends with "Another Year" a great beat by Vibe consisting of piano and drums, it gives you that reminiscent feeling, and the first words we hear from Redlist are "Another year passes, so we're going to take a second to think about it." It does a solid job of not being overly cheerful or depressing, it has a bit of both but more than that it is about learning from the previous year (read: learn from your mistakes.) The final 30 seconds consist of a bass drum and some hi hats, letting the listener either ride out or do their own looking back over the past year (or however long you decide.)

Redlist and Vibe originally planned on just doing one track together, but as often happens a producer and MC feed off of each other and in this instance they gelled enough to create an album, I for one am very thankful for that, because just one track would have been a shame (1 album would be a shame as well.) While there are some standard topics tackled in the album, they are done in their own unique way and at no time come off as stale, instead it comes off as Redlist really opening up over Vibe's beats and getting a whole lot off his chest. So while this is by no means a concept album, there is certainly a common theme throughout, Redlist and Vibe giving their all to create meaningful songs that come together to form an album, kudos to them and here is to hoping they decide to work together again in the future.

Stream and download the album here

*prize will be nothing anyone really cares about but I felt like saying you win a prize, congrats