Review Summary: "If you're tired of the ficticious raps/Bragging 'bout their b*tches and gats/If you're tired of the riff and the raff/Then, mothaf*cka this is the end of that."
Are you smarter than a rapper? Do you know about the esoteric agenda? Are you familiar with the subversive use of occult symbolisim in the media? How about the Nine Insights of the Celestine Prophecy? Do you know what Alpha Draconus is? Do you understand what Orwellianism is? If you answered "no" to one or more of these questions, then congratulations, you are NOT as smart as a rapper. One look at the Myspace page of Tony Moon - an uber-underground rapper from Hampton, Virginia - could result in the belief that he is, in fact, the smartest rapper ever. Now, that might not be saying much, but if you listened to his mixtape
MOONshine: You Know, For Kids!!!, that statement is very likely to develop bearing.
With a vast, diverse array of extremely intricate rhyme schemes, a massive vocabulary, clever punchlines, a brisk, yet smooth, flow, a voice in the vein of Lupe Fiasco, and intelligent, political rhetoric, it would occur to one (in theory) that Tony Moon is boring and grossly too backpack-ish to be any fun at all. That is exceedingly incorrect. Backed by instrumentals that fuse pop and soul, Tony Moon combines both easy listenabliity and resounding messages to create a classic album.
Despite covering a wide range of controversial topics such as police brutality, socioeconomics, conspiracy theories, government corruption, and secret societies and open-mindedly touching on tender subjects such as racism, orientation-based discrimination, sexism, and religion, Tony Moon isn't just your everyday cardboard-cut out backpack rapper. Oh no. Although he is message-based, Moon can throw down some sick punchlines, clever internal rhymes, and mindblowing multi-syllabics. Combine that with his advanced rhyme patterns and uptempo flow, and this makes him a dynamic emceeing force. Oh, and did I fail to mention that his ego level isn't cranked to an astronomical platform?
You would also expect that his instrumental backdrops would be lulling, boring, and drab, but this is not the case. With brooding soul loops, catchy, yet substantive, choruses and bouncy pop percussion,
MOONshine...'s production is oddly upbeat. Of course, there are cases in which it leans towards soul ("Creep Show," "Evolutionary Music Snippet," "Not Fertha Masses,") and instances in which pop is a tendency ("Build Up Babylon," "Catch You," "On Top,") but the production tends to find a nice balance within the pop-soul fusion.
Other than the shoutout track "Drunken Brother, Mike-C Message," this album is virtually flawless. Even the interludes stand as quick, instrumental bits, and Tony Moon's multifaceted lyrical abilities are astounding. But possibly the best part about this album is, it's
free. This hands down tops all 2008 releases. Whether they be monstrous mainstream releases (e.g. T.I.'s
King and Kanye West's
808's & Heartbreak) or highly acclaimed indie releases (e.g. Panacea's
A Mind on a Ship Through Time and Guilty Simpson's
Ode To The Ghetto)
The project has been classified as an "Orwellian Masterpiece" and displays extremely intricate rhyme schemes, remarkable flow, clever punchlines, soulful beats, and above all, an over-arching message that bridges race, gender, religion, orientation, or any other classification.
The last paragraph? Tony Moon said that himself.
