Nero's Alive and Vibrant

So far this year, hip hop is looking as promising as it proved to be in '08. A lot of talented MCs out there dropping enjoyable music. One that I've been checking out recently, and got playing on the PC speakers right now is an album by Nero called Alive and Vibrant. I don't really know anything about the guy at all, so feel free to educate me. I just came across this online while searching for new stuff, and the blogger seemed to think a lot of it. You'll recognize most of the beats Nero rhymes over - a bunch of classics, "Dead Presidents", "Straighten it out", "Buck Em Down", etc. There were only a couple I couldn't place. Who knows? They may be originals.

The lyrics though are definitely his own, and Nero has a pretty impressive, laid back flow. He kept me interested throughout, and ready to hear some more from him. The only complaint I could maybe come up with is that he seems of take on the flow of the MC that famously spit over the beat he uses, which I could do without. I'd like to hear him really make the track his own. I think it's important for an MC to remember that there's more than one way to flow over a beat. It's not necessary to go along with what's been done already. Ultimately, Nero does a good job of introducing himself (assuming he hasn't been around for years - again, I don't know much about him). If you like jazzy hip hop you can lounge and listen to and solid lyricism, I recommend checking this one out. It's one of my favorites so far this year (yeah, I know it's February, but still). I seem to remember the cover having an illroots.com tag on it, so maybe check over there for a link.