It’s extremely unfair to place emcees in boxes based on the projects they put out. Some of them lean towards certain genres but this kind of thinking makes rappers appear one sided when majority of them have many layers. And Louwop, a Toronto native, is one of those types that have more than one floor to expose. So placing him in the militant, conscious or “true hip hopper” box isn’t going to happen around these parts. Plain and simple, he is an emcee with a clear-cut story that you should peep out.
The Great Escape, Louwop’s first full-length album, is one of those projects that provides your hip hop spirit with a little bit of everything. He doesn’t just focus on one specific genre within the culture—he goes after all of them and pulls it off well.
Initially, there are a few nostalgic moments that make this album great. “Reach Out,” sounds like it was cut from that era when DJ Premier started defining the nineties. The simplicity of the beat plays its position properly; not over the top but not lackadaisical to the point that it bores you. It coordinates well with the lackluster lyrics that coast alongside of it but the feel the beat gives you more than makes up for it. “For The Love” is another that makes you reminisce of those tape-deck days. It’s not because Louwop is focusing on what was but simply put - the beats he selected create an experience that leaves you no other choice.
Like most of us, Louwop seems to have a soft spot for Mrs. Hill, which proves evident on his track “Check This.” Using a sample from “The Sweetest Thing,” the dirty general delivers one from the soul. He opens the window to his mind that is filled with beats, lyrics and everything else that encompasses the life of an emcee. Louwop’s illustrious energy shines through on “Yes Yall” while “Get Up” and “Stay Building” hit you in the pit of your stomach like a good Hip Hop track is supposed to.
Despite having a pretty dope album, Louwop has areas that fall in the red. “Subway System Girl” has good intent behind it but fails to show what the Toronto native can truly do. The lyrics are built around the typical clichéd statements you’d expect from a hip hop love song while the chorus and beat struggle to maintain a consistent pulse. “Journey” and “Goodbye” also lack that certain something they need to work. These two just don’t have the same concentration needed to flourish and the lyrics become a bit cheesy and off balance while the beats get lost in translation.
Lyrically, Louwop is somewhere in the middle. He can spit a dope 16 and then he will have a moment where he gets knocked off his square. But he isn’t a fly by night emcee. He knows the importance of good lyrics and with enough tenacity, he will only move forward. His beat selection is impressive and he seems to know what he can and can’t handle. Unlike a lot of underground artists, Louwop doesn’t try to be over the top and get you to focus on his production while everything else falls by the waist side. He actually blends with his beats and knows how to bring them to life. He should branch out and challenge himself because he just might be able to pull off more than he realizes.
Louwop is going to be around for a while because he’s only going to progress as opposed to disappearing into thin air. The Great Escape is a great listen that places you in a number of different scenarios that all evoke something rather it be a good or bad…but the point is it makes you feel and that is what a good emcee is supposed to do. So fall into The Great Escape with Louwop and see where it leads you…it might just be a cool destination to chillax in for a while.
7.0/10
M.O.A. B. (feat Wayne Tennant)
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Get Up (feat Zaki Ibrahim)
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One 2 Check (feat Shad K)
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This is a dope album… make sure you all check it!
Amazing album, I was listening to this last night, lights off, blazed, I was in heaven.
dope album indeed…
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