Flatbasset Radio's Album Of The Week for the week of August 18th-24th, 2014:
Manny Phesto - Southside Looking In
01. Reality Check
02. Cedar Ave
03. The Account (w/Mike The Martyr)
04. Rooftops Interlude
05. Eternity In The Cities
06. Standards (w/Metasota)
07. HI LAKE (w/Axel Foley)
08. Goodnight Moon Interlude
09. Full Scope (w/Akrite)
10. To The Sea
11. Rabbit Hole (w/Greg Grease)
12. Fork In The Road
13. Rigamarole
14. Before The Storm
15. Outro
Truth be told I'm actually a week late naming Southside Looking In my AOTW. I actually spent the entirety of last week with it. Fortunately, writing this post after spending a week with an album as opposed to while I'm spending time with it has given me a bit more time to digest the record.
Let me tell you, this one only gets better with more spins. Manny Phesto's rhymes & Mike The Martyr's beats make Southside Looking In a perfect, laid back summer album.
A lot of recent albums from the Twin Cities hip-hop scene have stuck to sparse, downbeat production while rappers vent either anger, confusion, or a sense of surprised contentedness. While those sort of practical emotions are undeniably Midwestern in nature, Manny Phesto & Mike The Martyr seem to have decided it's time for a bit of a celebration. Mike The Martyr brings a sturdy set of beats that sound like they've been influenced equally by RZA & Kanye's early "chipmunk soul" sound. In fact, the only real break in the beats are the interludes, otherwise Martyr continues to do his thing throughout without throwing in the token "slow song" or "banger." It's just consistently excellent, good time beats.
Manny Phesto matches that energy with a collection of verses that stick to the positives of life. He spends a majority of the record enjoying his hometown and his friends. Now, this being an album from a Minnesotan, it couldn't be all party time raps. However, when Manny Phesto does take a break from the positivity, he still manages to crib his concerns in a mostly positive outlook. His problems are weighing on him, but he seems confident that they'll be solved before they become overwhelming.
With Southside Looking In, it seems that Manny Phesto & Mike The Martyr have taken up the torch from local legends Kanser. It's mostly positivity here, and even when the clouds turn grey, the focus is on the silver lining rather than the rain.
Southside Looking In is available as a "Name Your Price" download over on Manny Phesto's Bandcamp page. I highly suggest you pick it up and give it a spin. Especially if you have a car. Or enjoy BBQ's. Or just need a dose of positivity.
