I first heard of Apathy the Alien Tongue back in '98 when he did some guest work on the first Jedi Mind Tricks album. He was kicking a scientifik style very much in line with Ikon and the whole JMT steez. He was nice, but he seemed to disappear after that. Fast forward to '01 and I discovered Ap for the second time on Napster. On his newer material he had the same distinctive voice but his style had switched. He was now spitting battle rhymes, doing radio show freestyles, and making a name for himself among underground heads.

This self-released CD includes tracks spanning the last five years of Apathy's career. Covering such a large period of time, there is a lack of consistency here that some listeners might find a bit jarring. The production quality is all over the place, and Ap's style seems to change from song to song. And to be frank, some of the older material is lame (especially when he rhymes about women). If this isn't too big of a hurdle for you, the majority of this album is gems for your listening pleasure.

The best tracks include "Just Begun", "The Smackdown", "The Big Hurt", "Chrome Depot Freestyle", and "Compatible." These are all recent tracks that show off a new, hungrier Ap that blazes the mic with witty word play and nice punch lines. You also get the bonus of hearing other up and coming underground MC's blessing the tracks with nice guest appearances -- cats like Wordsworth, AL, Rise, and C-Rayz Walz. The production on many of these recent tracks is excellent, and is handled by Celph Titled, Apathy's number one production partner.

Apathy is a great MC, no question. His presence is just amazing; when he spits, his voice just reaches out for your ears and makes you listen. The kid can freestyle, and he still hones his skills with the occasional battle. After a few years of trying to find a style, he seems to have found his niche as a battle-rhyming street MC, and this fits him perfectly. Check this CD out, you won't regret it; as the highs more than compensate for any lows here. Apathy is tearing up the underground and is destined for big things. Buy this now so you can brag to your friends you knew about Ap's skills after he blows up.

Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 9 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8.5 of 10

Originally posted: June 9, 2001
source: www.RapReviews.com