Sy ShacklefordAlaska-born, third world-raised OldBoy Rhymes is a recent signee to Sage Francis’ Strange Famous Records. His ironically titled debut, “The Sane Asylum”, is an amalgam of many issues ranging from personal, world, political, battle-oriented, etc. He’s got the grizzled voice and an on-point flow heavy with multis and filled with content. Produced entirely by Mopes (formerly known as Prolyphic) and with several features, including a few from his labelhead. He has some intriguing concepts in his rhymes, beginning with “What’s Hard?”, a guitar-driven autobiographical rap filled with literary references. On “American Pyramids”, Sage Francis makes his first appearance along with Boston-based emcee Mr. Lif. In it, all three emcees liken the American currency structure to a large pyramid scheme.
“Strange Kids” has a melancholy bluesy production to it as OldBoy gives relatable rhymes about the social dynamics in school, drops an impressive double-time flow, and features Tre & Runt on the hook. “How Many” boasts a production built from vocal samples of beatboxer Tom Thum while “Lose You” hits all the boxes for a posse cut. Featuring Lee Reed, Black Liq, Deuce Eclipse, & Mopes, the beat is layered with record scratching, a vintage soul vocal sample, and thumping drums for each emcee to tailor their bars and flow to ride it. “New Day”, featuring Akil & Maksik, has more of a political bent to it, offering commentary about world affairs.
“Somehow” has a vintage jazz sample and features Sage Francis once more, but with Brother Ali in tow, with the latter’s verse opening the track. “Smiley Pills” is a rhymed satire of pharmaceutical commercials before transitioning to “War”. With strong electric guitars, OldBoy raps about the current cycle of wars, juxtaposing it with past wars with an assist from Locksmith. Next up is “Faith Healer”, in which Mopes flips a familiar sample and makes it into an appropriate soundscape for OldBoy to vent.
“The Indicator” has an organ, almost gospel aspect to its production and contains many religious references courtesy of him and Sage. With “Sick With You”, there’s a more subdued vibe because of the piano samples. OldBoy handles this track for dolo as he spins a first-person narrative about having a loved one hospitalized. “Sasquatch” features Zion I and Ariano, but the raps really pick up when OldBoy starts his verse. The closer, “Liftoff”, is a lyrical discourse in fast rhyming, which OldBoy and Myka9 practice in spades. For a debut, “The Sane Asylum” isn’t bad, but what detracts from it is the numerous guest features. OldBoy holds down only three tracks on his own and, while the guests are well-chosen, their presence becomes a crutch in short time. For future releases, OldBoy Rhymes should be able to hold down the fort on his own without reliance on enlisted men.