4th Down Records - Struggle To Live

Hear The Track Here

I have to say, in my own defence, that I have been aware of 4th Down Records for a while but I think this is the first time I've ever had a reveiw request. S'nice to do a bit of hip hop, after all it is THE predominant genre on Soundclick and can truly number its audience in millions. I have also had a taste for the genre for many years and am always happy to hear what Brooklyn NYC has to offer because it's a special musical place, as I know from personal experience. 4th Down and it's artists Muggsy, Damien Rivera and Showtyme have a lot to live up to...

Struggle To Live is produced by Soundclick beat machine Anno Domini who I've bought to your attention a couple of times before. The track they lay down here for Muggsy is typical of their work, dense, driving and very fresh sounding. The opening four bars will drag you into the track before you could say what the fu.. and the tension is sustained from there on out. I've reviewed some hip hop artists who take on such creative music tracks like this and completely lose the plot. It is to 4th Down and Muggsy's eternal credit that they let the music breath beneath their rap.

Speaking of which, another thing about the Soundclick hip hop scene that always amazes and astounds me is the amount of people who think they can rap. Riiight. Listen, remember the tension bit I was talking about with the music? Well, IMHO good rappers take that heightened tension and spew it out as lyrical bullets aimed at the centre of your brain, making a relentless, unstopabble force. The kind of thing you learn growing up in somewhere like Brooklyn. Flow is the essential ingredient and Muggsy brings that to the party big time. It's a great shame it carries a Parental Advisory because - aside from a little lightness of sound - this is exactly the kind of hip hop that should be better heard and understood.

Top class hip hop/rap. Highly Recommended.