Don't Make Me Take My Earrings Off! : Psalm One Hug Life Album Review ( official release 02/11/2014)

Ooh... Ok. This is what Psalm decided to bring to the table, to further evolve her sound and hopefully appeal to other groups than just Hip-Hop heads and the occasional Hipster that wanders into her show but falls in love. No, I am NOT calling her "Hipster Rap" at all, her longevity alone proves she isn't just another fad ( like J.J.)

Psalm One is on some next shit and definitely stands out from the crowd.

Nicki Minaj she is NOT, and thank god, cuz one is more than enough.

Psalm is about to release her debut album off of Bonafyde Media, Hug Life, which has taken my iPod by storm. It knows me by now, and won't even let me pause her rhymes for a second or even change the Playlist! It knows I will eat, sleep and breathe this Album. It's that good. Let me break it down and tell you why. And how this will give you a new perspective similair to the day after taking Shrooms or LSD but without any comedown or headaches.

She came back insanely HARD on this album, and not just with her incredible roster of different producers, both established and up coming, as well as artists that are both impressive ( and their verses don't let you down, while they struggle to keep up with Psalm who has never sounded more at home and comfortable in her own Kingdom)

She brings out incredible guests like Bahamadia, Tanya Morgan, ProbCause, and others with production credits ranging from Maker, Flosstradamus, Optiks, Hood Internet, Ill-Esha, Doomtree, J-Zone, Brandon Allday and many more.

That right there is the perfect mix to me, and they both made me extremely excited to hear her collaborations with said artists and producers. Just by hearing that particular line up and all of her recent ventures like Free Hugs EP, I knew that this album was gonna be something Epic and that is one of the best ways to describe it.

Her lyrics and the beats are on point, and definitely a different route for her but a great two-step in the right direction. It's creative, it's hood, it remains sensitive and real, it's filled to the brim of references that dare you to get them ( yeah, she's that clever), it takes Juke to a whole new level and perfectly blends trends of the Electronica and Indie-Tronica Genres with hard Hip-Hop. Most of the songs change and evolve midway through into something entirely different. And although I usually shuffle my playlists, no matter what order this album is played in it comes off as a solid and cohesive classic effort from her mind and soul.

She has mastered the art of staying light hearted while in beast mode, and it's what makes her shine the most. The fact that no matter her success, she is speaking the truth as she reflects on everyday life, love gone wrong all the while dropping creative metaphors with a cadence never before heard before. She remains humble while bragging, and that is an art. One that never sits patiently on the side lines of Hip-Hop, or even as a poet for that matter. And on top of all that, she has strong opinions, but isn't over the top with them and trying to shove them down your throat. I mean, I'm doing my best to stay biased while I write this, but it's hard. She makes it difficult to not love her. Even when I know all the lyrics to her music I still find different stand out lines with each listen and it's a perfect balance of hot ass records period that you can't help but get down to, and songs that have the same effect as my favorite chill pill. Even if you are just sitting in public alone and can't stop nodding your head, don't worry, you are now rocking with the best!

Let me break it down, track by track for you:

1. Grabbing Necks Produced by Brandon Allday

Album opener, Psalm on a stripped down and grimey beat, beginning with the screwed and almost chopped line " I love having sex but I'd rather get some head"... Psalm is feeling a bit frisky these days, seems Veganism brought out many different sides of her! Then she spits her wisdom as the beat creeps up and sets the standard for the tracks that are about to win you over to the Psalm side. I really want to give each song a rating, but it would come off as all 5 out of 5 and become extremely redundant...

2. NerdLove Featuring ProbCause Produced by Drew Mantia

Track 2, which is a fantastic reworking of of a Jodeci sample laden song from her amazing Free Hugs EP which was really a prelude to Hug Life, and a great one at that. She slowed it down with heavy drums that compliment her sing rap flow on this one, and then once she hands the mic over to ProbCause the full beat kicks in which is great, and ProbCause drops a mean verse. Then Psalm takes her spin on the new beat, and turns her underground classic original song into a multiple-layerd and equally sexy song about getting freaky (Freak N' You, baby)

The beat is one Kanye would play, remember his awesome early career before the fame when he was hungry and probably would have throw himself off a Balcony for letting this part of him go! Which is my fancy way for saying this is sick, and one of my favorites and Kanye is a sell out.

3. A New Phaze Featuring Tanya Morgan and Fluffy Produced by Hood Internet

This is another reworking of one of her previous songs, which keeps the flavor of the original and adds a whole new take on it. It does slightly keep the sample and most of her best verse on that track, but then hands the Reigns over to Tanya Morgan for a little while, which is a collaboration from my dreams! Tanya Morgan drop a fantastic set of verses, and it's one of their best features they ever done to date. They are two of my favorite artists ( even though Tanya Morgan is a group comprised of 2 Emcees and a Dj/Producer so I guess it's more than 2) then Fluffy takes the hook and delivers a hot ass old school Kelis flavored flow as Hood Internet provides them with an Homage to Psalm's "Through a Phaze" record and throws in a Mystery Flavored Dum-Dum to spice up the sound and flip the script on her. She ain't scared, and tackles it. And It works, but this being the first single off Hug Life, we already knew that for quite some time now! Thank god she kept the best parts of the song, mentioning Janis Joplin in her IPod, and spits the excellent "Through A Phase" lyrics to finish the song and give it a happy ending! Mad shouts to the many producers who made this possible. Brought to you in part by...

4. Take The Plunge Produced by Wes P.

She starts this track out by saying " what about the adventure though? You're gonna wake up everyday and do the same shit?"- then, she rides the Trap influenced beat like a Skateboard ( Surf board in a Bathtub- thanks Beyonce). This song is filled with mad quotables, and the beat bangs Chicago style and gives her plenty of freedom to spread her Angel Wings far enough to brush her shoulders off and do a hair flip. Basically, she comes into this sexy ass beat, snaps and spazzes the fuck out, vomitting her words all over this sick ass beat and bounces. I know she was proud as hell when she left the studio after this shit. This is some Nick Cannon Drumline snap at your opponents and drop your drumsticks in their face ( in her case the mic that is probably still smoking) and walk away. Plus to me, there is a particular line that I swear she is referencing me. I always think that, but I do call her a Genius a lot. Even if she wasn't, to me she was. Lol.mits the little things that get us through life.

5. Another Voyeur Produced by Lazerbeak of Doomtree

This is part two to her Voyeur song, which I was convinced was about me the first time I heard the original too! But then I realized it was just an insanely sexy song that made me want to strip and Juke one day and just chill and walk to the words with my Headphones. "Up in the place, I see you getting down. I just can't help but look at you", that's the core of the song (s) and this one is almost the gorgeous heartbroken aftermath of its predecessor. She says it sounds stalker-ish, but she doesn't mean it that way, we've all been there, I call it infatuation. And some people were born to be stared at, and revel in it. This is a song for them, and for those that can't help but stare.

6. Juke Me Again Featuring Bahamadia & Open Mike Eagle Produced by Maker

Juke me was one of her singles, and a hot song but not on my list of all time favorites by her. However, this remix changes every thing for me. I'm doing my best not to call them remixes, they are entirely different songs that have similair parts to them. Regardless, they have made me over think my original evaluation of the first one, and I can't even stress how happy I am Bahamadia is on a Psalm record. I've always wanted a Jean Grae collab or a Rapsody, or even a Rah Digga collab with Psalm, but realize their styles are completely different and that's probably never going to happen. ( it still might tho, and they are all powerful and adaptable queens who can figure it out, damnit) but, Bahamadia was the perfect choice. It's almost an un recognizable Bahamadia, but that's good! What we are left with is pure gold, and Psalm seems overly confident and at home over this new beat and her newfound bragging rights from all of her hard work that led to this collaboration. This is one of my favorite songs on the record.

7. Abe Froman Produced by Maker

Here is a dedication to The Sausage King Of Chicago, Abe Froman.

Kind of.

The beat is a sick Nintendo influenced uptempo banger, and she rides it effortlessly over Makers "challenge" to her skills. This is her proving she is the queen! Bow down, bitches!

There isn't much else to say, on your headphones she sounds fantastic and yet again, that beat is amazing! Love it and it gives her another chance to showcase her double time rap skills, and she drops them out of nowhere just it throw the listener off. Another "oh shit, she is NICE with it", even over some techno juke mashup beat courtesy of Maker! Thanks Psalm, this one is just dope as hell.

8. So Silly Produced by Young Josh of Flosstradamus

Here we have a laid out, slower paced jam that almost sounds like a marriage between Santogold, The Pixies and south side Trap Jawns. Plus, the message is awesome. It's basically belittling the other chick with confidence, from the point of view of the Homewrecker, even though as you will notice the man catches no slack for being a player and playing with these women's emotions. Just saying. She basically writes him off as " Silly". It's a great stand to take. And the Hook anonymously performed is a screwed and kind of chopped , line which not only calls out her Government name, but also Is just pure awesomeness. I really like this track, it's hot, it's lonely, it's chill all the while being intensely discreet.

Psalm shows a tad of her vulnerable side on this one, and it works very well. The emotional groth she has achieved since her first recordings is astounding, but I'd expect nothing less.

9. Sex Is A Weapon Featuring Ill-Esha & Fluffy Produced by Ill-Esha

Banging beats, dope empowering raps, Psalm is definitely on fire over this beat. This song is a Banger, and would fit nicely on the radio ( well, at least all my Playlists and Mixtapes)

Ill-Esha and Fluffy handle the catchy ass hook, and Psalm does her thang all over that beat. Shit, she might as well have left $200 on the night stand when she was done with that beat! She made it her bitch! And she had such a good time with it the night before, she gave it what is was worth

10. The Responsibility Produced by J-Zone

J-Zone makes sick beats and Psalm made a great choice of beats. This one sounds like an old school Nas beat and flow and she rips it apart. She gobbles this beat, al, about The Ganja Smoke and it's one of the few tracks that is extremely sample heavy, mainly mixing in quotes to enhance the message and beat. Nas style, baby.

11. Mike Bivens Produced by Young Josh of Flosstradamus

An Homage to former Bell Biv Devoe and New Edition crooner?

Not exactly sure where they were going with that name, but the beat bangs ( hello, it's Flosstradamus). They probably named it after him due to the copious amounts of references to him and his career.

" jamming on me, like a Candy Girl, and if it isn't live, then wear your panties girl. Can you stand the rain. I kind of like the drizzling. I might just Poison em, Michael Bivens"...

The scratching on the joint is reminiscent of a Primo production, and she samples herself at one point right after she spit the same line- dope. I'm trying to think of another rapper that sample words they said earlier in the same song... Psalm is the only one that comes to mind.

" I'd rather go out on a limb, then on a trend"...

That line alone sums up her creativity, originality as she tackles whatever obstacles she is faced with!

12. Free Hug Life Produced by Optiks

The beat is like floating with the Snuggle Fabric Softener bear, then poking the Pillsbury Dough Boy as you put out an "L" and sit back. Then, the first thing you think is the wonderfully abstract words she drops throughout this dreamy song. Then, you are hit with a Phil Spektor wall of sound and the song closes off on all the right notes. This shit is meant for long walks, and chill thoughts. It's simple, gorgeous and straight to the point.

13. What A Movie Produced by GodDog and POS of Doomtree

This shit sounds like some awesome late nineties trip hop, with her snarling rasp coming through and the result is mad sexy! The beat is on point, bass heavy, slow, with the occasional sample and sick. She rides this beat like old school Psalm would. It's great, filled with nice one liners, and as always she breaks out that sick double time flow when she is rapping over a nice slow but dirty beat. Another sexy chill song. I also like hearing her say "I love you" at the end, while talking about the film she wants to make instead of a Porno is a thriller. This track is nice, maybe not the first one I'd play as an intro to the CD ( depending on who I trying to impress) but definitely one I'll start the shuffled playlist off with for my own personal situation.

14. Another Paranoid Lover Feat Diggs Duke Produced by Diggs Duke

Nice. This one starts with a sick bass line, a minimalist beat and her rapid fire delivery right off the bat. Then, she has a chorus of soul background sounds hit you as the chorus. It's gorgeous, the beat stutters, it builds and builds to whole new plateaus as she goes on. And Diggs Duke is mad nice with it, has a great voice and very intricate beats. A great way to end the album.

There may or may not be a bonus track- to me there are 2.

We will just have to wait for the finished album to come out before.

If they aren't on it, go download Open Relationship featuring R.A. The Rugged Man and Funky Junkie By Ray Elementary produced by Mulatto Patriot...

Plus, Mulatto Patriot is a great producer, and together him and Psalm make magic.

Another one from Chicago to look out for!

http://bonafydemedia.com/hologram-kizzie-hug-life-lp-21114/

So Hug Life-

Incredible. If you haven't gathered that by now.

I live it, have listened to it non stop since she gave me permission to review it.

And thank god, because it have me an incredible album right when I needed it, inspiration to write yet another blog about her and one more way to spread the word about my favorite Psalm One.

If I wrote for The Source, after I killed myself, I would give it 5 mics hands down.

Too bad there aren't enough of us super fans spreading the word! (Hint, hint)

How else do you think things that are underground blow up and gain a cult following?

Word of mouth, and I ain't talking Ludacris.

Hug Life and the accompanying Hoodie is here to take you by storm, all you gotta do is listen and let the words melt you.

In a world of Hip-Hop that gets progressively more mainstream each year and pointless, she is a bowl of the best dank you've ever burned. Really, no matter what music you listen to, she is amazing and something you've never heard before, even if you've listened to her other stuff before. This is different. This is a rare gem that is waiting for you to call it the best album you've heard in a long time!

I love you, Psalm! Thank you from the very bottom of my Headphones for yet another amazing journey.

Hug Life will be officially released by Bonafyde Media on 02/11/2014 and available everywhere that's worth going. Shit, look below. One and all of those links will help you get it, and it strongly recommend you buy the fly ass Hoodies too.