Rhymefest reviewed
Rhymefest
Man In The Mirror mixtape
(self-released free download)
Who knows what kind of megalomaniacal festivities we’re in for with the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller this year (there’s already a masturbatorial video tribute on his homepage) — maybe Neverland Ranch will transform into a spaceship and finally take Jacko home. Chicago rapper Rhymefest, however, has already trumped whatever’s in store.
In the run-up to his second album, El Che, ‘Fest and favored producer Mark Ronson spliced dozens of Michael Jackson samples for the staggering Man In The Mirror mixtape. Finding ways to involve ‘Fest’s social consciousness, cameos from dudes like Talib Kweli, and even El Che are secondary to the duo’s stunning pastiche. (Even better: The whole thing is free from Rhymefeststore.com.)
Each track has an intro where Rhymefest playfully “interviews” Jackson, turning in some hilarious moments where the young artist talks about getting ass, farting, and sometimes comes off like Tom Cruise discussing Scientology. If Rhymefest and Ronson had just presented this package in tribute alone, it’d be worth the download.
Yet in almost every way, Man In The Mirror is more compelling than the rapper’s hot-and-cold debut, Blue Collar (J). “Can’t Make It” and “Get Up” ram the gates from the get-go, where Rhymefest’s soulful freestyling is powerful enough to make you ignore the Jackson soundtrack. Of course, he can’t overcome “Dancing Machine”‘s insistence, but ‘Fest and Ronson are smart enough to occasionally remind you why you wanted to hear this in the first place.
The only real downers are “No Sunshine” and the title track, which are now-typical life-trials Rhymefest cuts that he got to work for Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” but struggles with on his own. Even so, this is the best Michael Jackson album since Bad.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to download Man In The Mirror.
