Review Summary: Who is this kid Spark?
You know, sometimes life won't throw you a lemon, it will throw you a glacier. And you know, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to overcome it. You will falter at the first try you have. And it won't be pretty.
Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit, but talking about this mixtape is certainly a bit of a difficult task. Because, what is there to say about this? First of all, I can give you exactly no background information on either Spark Master Tape or Paper Platoon, the producer. Some speculate he could be Kai Skywalker, Vancouver-based underground rapper, and some say he could be another pseudonym of Shawn Kemp (Lil' Ugly Mane). His voice is pitch-shifted beyond recognition and when he appears in his music videos, he always hides under costumes. So, what is it with this mysterious kid?
Well, he can rap good, that's for sure. While the topics he talks about certainly are nothing innovative, talking about killing, guns, drugs and sex, he definitely isn't bad at it or anything. His vocabulary is quite large and his rhyme-schemes are always a joy to listen to. And at some points he can even come up with a funny punchline to make you laugh. And when some more serious topics sneak in, for example in Charlies Episode, where he talks about his brothers death, and Spokken Moonshine with its unexpected reflectiveness, he shines more than before. Also, for someone who pitches his voice, Spark displays way too much character on these songs. When he spits, you listen. The determination in his voice commands your attention. Now, mix this with some amazingly catchy and impressive flows, and you basically know with what you are dealing with.
Considering the features on this tape, let me keep it short. Kai Skywalker delivers a standout verse on Murder Monsoon with good energy. Whoever uncredited MC gets the mic on Mutual Fund, he deserves some praise for his truly immaculate flow. And the less we talk about Dat Nigga Nug on Leave My Crib, the better.
And now let's talk about Paper Platoon, because damn, he brings everything to the table you could imagine. Dark, grimy and nasty bass on Pinata, nocturne atmosphere on Murder Monsoon, jazzy and soulful beats with Mutual Fund and All I Know, highly polished trap on Hanson Brothers and Charlies Episode, beautiful strings on Half Of Nepal and much more. His production on this project is very impressive and diverse, but because it is all rooted in trap, it also makes for a very coherent impression.
What should definitely noted on the negative side, is that in the midst of Sparks trigger-happy drug-baron persona his lyrics do really tend to run on the repetitive side. After the 6th time he announced having sex with your girlfriend or talks about moving drugs or runs up on you, you would get a bit bored. Songs like Charlies Episode and Spokken Moonshine are, like I said, a fresh of breath air, there are definitely too little of these kind of songs on this project. But overall, this is not too distracting from the overall enjoyability of this tape.
Because in the end, this tape is just a lot of fun. With a lot of charisma, flow and good beats, Spark and Paper Platoon can definitely overshadow most of these seemingly obvious flaws. Just, turn off your brain and enjoy the show.
