Access Immortal

"You're style is generic, mine's authentic made." Words spoken by Eminem and sampled on the second track of this album from Bedstuy's Access Immortal. Who's Access Immortal? He's an MC with a deadpan delivery and punch lines guaranteed to keep you smacking the rewind button in order to backtrack and catch his lyrical couplets. Vanderslice (who named his company Get Rich or Shoot 50 Cent Music) handles the majority of the production, splicing together horns like he attended the Pete Rock School of Beat-making ("Resident Evil"). "Get What You Deserve" samples Gangstarr's Guru and bumps like a beat you wish Premo could remember to make. Concerned with returning rap to its place as a realistic social commentary, Access Immortal dips closer to depression than jubilance as he examines some serious questions. "Life is Dirty" finds AI tackling stresses of life and agreeing with George W. Bush on the issue of gay marriage. For those that don't want to escape into their music, Shades of Reality is darker than you might be ready for.