Here’s a review on Black Eddie’s recent project, In The Meantime.

With songs titled “Hoodies & Backpacks,” “Boom, Kick,” and “Baby Chops,” and lyrics like “I’m ghost like Pat Swayze.” you shouldn’t be shocked about what’s to come. This a straight up underground Hip Hop album. The next 40 minutes will take you back (or introduce you) to what many consider the golden age of hip hop.

My first impression of the album wasn’t lack of lyricism, but more like failure to update the flow. You can tell what era Eddie came from. If you loved music from the mid 90s (as I do), you won’t have a problem getting into this, but I can see the younger listeners getting bored quickly. More often than not, I felt his features took the song from decent to dope. I could see his style being more effective within a group.

The introduction track gets you excited for what’s to come. The only thing it’s missing is a verse or two! I was hoping he would bring it back later in the album but no such luck. Maybe next time. One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Hoodies & Backpacks.” It comes in with a smooth soul sample and the bass cranked all the way up. Even if you don’t generally listen to this type of Hip Hop, I can guarantee that you will find yourself nodding.

The energy on “Boom, Kick” was dope. Sammy Vee is beginning to earn some points with the production. It sounds like he really takes his time building a beat and paying attention to the details of it. The song is reminiscent of something A Tribe Called Quest would do.

On another stand out track, Eddie shares an open letter to his daughter. This song is the perfect example of how a simple flow CAN work for you. He gives us what many of today’s generation is missing. Substance! The emcee expresses intimate details of a troubled relationship from the point of view of a doting proud father. You can watch the video for “Baby Chops” below.

Initially, I was confused about what direction he was taking the song “Domestic Violence” in. Imagine RZA is your quick tempered cousin who came over to vent about a woman he’s with…it’s short, to the point, and amusing. Some may be turned off by the gratuitous and explicit usage of curse words, but with a closer listen, you will see it encompasses what Hip Hop music is. It gives you the who, what, and why of what an emcee is feeling at a given time in his life.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give “In the Mean Time” a 7. Although I felt flow wise, Eddie was a bit outdated, he still had a cohesive project with dope production. Despite what might not be the most complex rhyme scheme, songs like “Domestic Violence” and “Baby Chops” more than compensate as far as content goes. If you would like to purchase a hard copy of this album, Black Eddie’s contact info is listed below.