Consequence

If you were really up on Native Tongues in their prime, you might recognise his face. If you picked up A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes and Life, you might know his music. More recently, Consequence has been seen and heard alongside Kanye West, providing vocal assists on stage and record. In an age where the demo is truly dead, the mix-tape is more than alive and well. However, Take ‘Em To The Cleaners, Consequence’s contribution to the fad, defies convention. While most MCs turn to the hits of the minute to rhyme over, Cons turned to the Souls of Mischief classic, "93 Til Infinity," and Grand Puba’s "I Like it (2000)," to do his thing. Additionally, the amount of polished, original tracks makes his mix-tape stronger than most of the albums released this year. Production from Kanye West, 88 Keyes, John Legend and 9th Wonder, provide a tantalising music bed for Consequence and guest MCs to work with. On "So Soulful" you get hip-hop to dance to. On "Wack N*****," guests Talib Kweli and Common hit hard. "I See Now," with Little Brother and Kanye, is a story-driven, summertime jewel. Skits, freestyles and a wide range of subject matter round out a promising lead-in to the upcoming full-length album.