Review Summary: Finally after several mixtapes and two EPs Chris Webby has released for a full studio album.
In 2009, Connecticut rapper Chris Webby released his first mixtape, The White Noise LP. The mixtape was followed by several other projects. The ones he’s best known for are his mixtapes Webster’s Laboratory and Bars On Me, and his two EPs, There Goes The Neighborhood and Homegrown. Standing out from the normal scene of rappers, he incorporates the normal commonalities that most styles consist of with things like video game and movie references.
His debut album, Chemically Imbalanced, incorporates his style with new twist to keep the sounds fresh. Not just rapping verses that make us think he’s full of himself or always wanting to party and get laid. This is obviously seen in the opening track “Nice 2 Be Back”. This mentions issues that he has faced being a white rapper from the burbs, not becoming a sellout, and thanking all the fans that listened to and supported him.
Tracks like “So Eazy” and “Turnt Up” bring the party element. Funky beats, good choruses, and terrific verses. No one ever wants a whole album to sound the same. No too much of this or too much of that. Having all these dark toned songs would make him sound too serious and depressing. Having too many party songs would make him sound immature and reckless. However he has managed to balance the album perfectly.
He of course has songs that challenge and inform the listeners. “Stand Up” is probably the best example of this and the best song off the album in its entirety. It brings into mind the pollution done by corporate businesses that’s damaging the earth. The verses are incorporated by good lyrics, a good beat, good rapping, and decent chorus. This song shows how far Webby has come from just rapping about weed and partying.
Of course most projects are not always total perfection. Unfortunately this album still contains a number of flaws. One of the things I noticed was the lack of nerdy references Webby is generally known for. Another issues are a few of the other artist he collaborated with. Praise going to Dizzy Wright, Tech N9ne, and Jon Connor for their perfect chemistry in the tracks.
The main track that supports this problem is “Dopamine”. Webby still manages to create a good beat, good chorus, and deliver a good beat, however his choice of artist on this track made an awkward and horrible transition. The artist Talib Kweli, Grafh, B-Real, and especially Trae tha Truth did not match the usual style of Webby’s and threw off the album for a bit.
Though Webby has created something that falls into the category of decent, he still has some progress to make. Being sure to include all the sounds and styles he’s been known for and choosing better collaborators on tracks. But with this Webby has made a fine start in the studio album world.
Recommended Tracks:
Nice 2 Be Back
So Eazy
Turnt Up
Chemically Imbalanced
Stand Up
Unrecommended Tracks:
Let’s Do It Again
Dopamine
