Introducin'

Coming out of Jacksonville, Florida, producer/MC Willie Evans Jr has been paying dues for many years now, dropping several super-indie solo projects and working with his crew A$amov (also known as the Alias Brothers). Introducin' is his most widely distributed project to date, and arguably his best work, a 12-track collection of wildly funky, sample-heavy production (think Edan's Beauty and the Beat) and rhymes that are simultaneously down-to-earth, comical, and advanced without being abstract. Lyrically he's got a lot in common with early MF DOOM, both in terms of flow, subject matter, and vocal tone, but still rocks his own style and never comes across as a copyist. "Take 2" is a great spin on the classic love-jam rap and "Nerd English" takes studio gangstas and wannabe thugs to task. After years of toiling in the sub-underground circuit, this may just be the album that sees him breaking through to a bigger audience. For hip-hop heads bored to tears by the status quo, Willie Evans Jr. is an immensely refreshing change of pace.