Review Summary: The hypest Memphis tape you’ll ever hear.
Lowdown’s decision to tag “Da Sinista” to his name can seem misleading at first. Whereas many Memphis rappers in the 1990s, namely Lord Infamous and Koopsta Knicca formerly of Three 6 Mafia, tried to channel their supposed inner demons by adopting a whispered, mischievous delivery, Lowdown went against the grain and proved that he could match most of M-town’s collective output while being the clear center of attention. His style is much more reminiscent of boom bap and particular the ferocity associated with 36 Chambers, projecting his voice over beats that are far more relative to the canon of Memphis rap. The beats are full of cheesy synths that you can come to expect from so many releases within the area, but of course they work oh so well with the eerie sound that Lowdown and co. attempt to perpetuate. I’ve read that they sound like they could be from a John Carpenter movie, and I’m inclined to agree (as well as something from a Goblin soundtrack).
Tracks like “Going Thru A Thang” and “Boy I Thought You Knew” offer a musical experience that could work just as well in as the club as they could in a dingy basement hosting occult rituals. Lowdown makes his evil intentions quite clear with tracks like “Coming for Your Soul”, and it’s not hard to guess what that song is about. The fantastic lo-fi production courtesy of Charlie Mac (I believe) pairs incredibly well with Lowdown’s commanding voice and stark raving mad lyricism and Many of the tracks, including the latter, as well as the closer and “Hell Has Arisen”, include R&B choruses that often make their containing tracks even creepier. They are often slightly off-key in a way that opposes the pleasant appeal of R&B music, and instead provides a tone of uneasiness.
And then there’s “Blah” which features blahs, blah-blahs, blue-blahs, triple meter blahs, and references to famed rap tracks using blahs. Needless to say it's one of the most oddball and entertaining tracks out there. If you consider yourself a fan of Three 6 Mafia, or Memphis, even Southern rap in general, then give this tape a listen
Recommended Tracks: "Going Thru A Thang", "Hell Has Arisen", "Blah", "Boy I Thought You Knew", "My City"
