Budda Early – The Treatment [Mixtape Vol. 2]

Band: Budda Early
Album: The Treatment
Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
Label: N/A

Tracks:
1. Blow You Away [intro]
2. Hard Body
3. Kid Skit
4. Go Crazy
5. Drop It
6. Westcoast Freestyle
7. Bowdown
8. Arch Ya Back
9. As We Ride
10. Speak My Language
11. Superman is Alive
12. My Block
13. Hold You Down
14. Believe Me Baby
15. Road To The Riches 2
16. Pop Off
17. Pay Attention
18. It’s Your World
19. Shoulder’s Bounce
20. Black Tee Gang Mama Freestyle
21. We here 

We talk a lot about the music scene being flooded with people wanting a piece of the action. Though we normally focus on the world of hardcore/punk/emo/etc., the world of hip hop is just as tough if not even worse. Where bands make demos, hip hop artist rely on mixtapes to get their names out there and it’s this world that we at UTG are going to start inserting some views on. The first newcomer to go under our knife is Budda Early and his Kid Capri hosted The Treatment [mixtape 2]. Mixing pounding beats with sharp lyricism and heart to match, there’s something special here, but is it good enough to arise from the sea of wannabes?

I love the raw sound of early recordings and mixtapes are no different. Treatment does have a quality recording, but you can tell it was made with hard earned cash and not some label advance.  Now I will admit I was a little turned away at first as Kid Capri’s hosting gets annoying from the get go on the intro track as you can’t just talk up something we haven’t even heard yet, but as soon as Budda starts to spit, you know it’s on. “Hard Body,” the first track you really hear is a very Game-esque tracks that hits hard and fast. It’s weird to find a rapper who will drop lines about getting shot like pac in a negative sense, but it goes by so fast that you barely get a moment to gasp at it. Early’s style is that of legends with speed and enunciation so that you hear each word and everything he has on his mind. The chorus, like on many tracks, is a bit weak, but the verses are more solid than many label releases. This then leads to an unnecessary skit, but luckily it’s the only one we’ll run into. “Go Crazy,” the Ludacris looped “Drop It,” and even “Westcoast Freestyle” come hot and ready for the club. Each track has beats that would hit hard if produced better, but Budda picks up where the sound lacks with great flow and words. He drops a ton of metaphors and references, but not to a point where it all blends together. It’s only /4 of the way through the mixtape and I’m wondering why this guy has no label deal yet. Given the popularity of rapper’s like The Game,Budda should be dominating the game as his flow is just as street wise, but at a more upbeat pace that I think sounds better in the long run. He does slow down for some tracks, like, “Bowdown,” “As We Ride,” and others, but it always rides the beat so well that I couldn’t complain.

If you haven’t noticed, this review is a lot different than my other revies, but that’s simply because it’s hard to tear apart individual mixtape tracks. This is simply a collection of fire meant to sell Budda and all I can say is that it does again and again. The freestyle tracks show his diversity while, while most the second half seems pre-destined for top 40 radio. I’m not saying he’s selling out here, but quite the opposite. he takes his game and brings it to you in a way that can appeal to everyone without ever abandoning his intensity. The trick here is generally having a guest star to sing the chorus or a solid loop to reference instead of the gruffness that Budda‘s voice carries. “Hold you Down,” plays like a rougher T.I. track and “My Block,” just carries this timeless feel to it. Like a track Spike Lee would use or something, it’s just smooth and rough at the same time in a way nothing else out there has.

I’ve spent the last few months trying to widen my musical horizons. I’ve always loved hip hop, but have been really searching for something new and undiscovered. Well, my search was over as soon as The Treatment rolled into our inbox.Budda Early is the future of hip hop. His mixture of gangster rap lyrics with more radio friendly beats is the perfect combination to create superstar. This mix is his key to the industry and if no one lets him in, I may just bow out myself. There are bands we get behind and a lot of them have been getting more attention, well, Budda Early is officially my next project. What’s the next big thing in the music industry? Budda Early. No questions asked.

*Written By: James Shotwell*
GRADE: 9/10

James Shotwell
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