The Lone Catalyst J-Rawls delivers a pleaser with "The Essence of...". I've been checking for the Lone Cats ever since I heard "Due Process" and J-Rawls provides a whole albums worth of similar vibey jazz-induced tracks to kick your feet up to. The MC's who were invited to spread butter on J's tracks didn't really blow up the spot though. However, Mass Influence provides a spark over the heated "Superhero" track and J-Live spills some of his verbal wit over "Great Live Caper" (although suspiciously similar to Common's "Stolen Moments" saga). The real lyrical champs on this project are Apani B. Fly and Mr. Complex on "Far Away" and Grap Luva on "Check The Clock". Apani and Complex provide great chemistry over J-Rawls' loungie track while Grap Luva continues to impress and up his status as a solid underground MC on "Check The Clock" (he's had the knack for showing up on some really dope cuts). J-Rawls certainly doesn't present anything brand new production-wise. A couple of cuts on this album are simply generic. But the rest will hook you. His formula of jazzy undertones create an atmosphere that compells you to slow your row and just lounge. Lounge, don't sleep.
*Review from amazon.com
01. What You Want It?
02. Superhero Feat. Mass Influence
03. Birds Of A Feather Feat. Top Emcees
04. Elegy Feat. Rubix
05. Great Live Caper Feat. J-Live
06. Meniscus Feat. Dose One And Fat Jon
07. Blue #2 Feat. Home Skill And Charles Cooper
08. Cold Turkey Feat. Capital D And Mr. Greenweedz
09. Far Away Feat. Apani B. Fly And Mr. Complex
10. Lone Catalysts (Remix) Feat. Lone Catalysts
11. Check The Clock Feat. J. Sands And Grap Luva
12. Nommo Feat. Asheru And J-Live
13. They Can't See Me Feat. Big June, Tiffany Gregory, Kandisce Daniels, Umeka Weber And Ellon Waters
14. Blue #2 (Saxaphone Repsise) Feat. Charles Cooper
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