BC-based MC/producer/singer Moka Only is one of Canada's most prolific artists in any genre. While he's probably best known for his brief stint as a Swollen Member, he's so much more; he's released over 50 albums in the last 20-plus years. He should be an inspiration to every young rapper in this country.
That being said, when you release that much work, not all of it is going to be great, and his latest effort, I'm Delighted, is not great. A 29-song instrumental album with an average song length of just over a minute, you have to really, really like Moka Only to like this album. And indeed, calling I'm Delighted an album might be overselling it.
The problem isn't that I'm Delighted is bad, but that it feels like a rough sketch. There's a lot of good-but-similar jazzy space-hop beats, punctuated by spoken word samples. These songs would be a dope beat for someone to rap over, or they'd make for great beginnings to some great instrumental tracks, but as it is, most of them feel unfinished. Nothing ever happens; very rarely does it feel like the songs are going anywhere.
I'm Delighted feels like going to hang out with your buddy who makes beats, and he shows you what he's been working on, and you're like "Oh, that's pretty dope." And it is indeed pretty dope — but none of the things he played you feel like songs, instrumental or otherwise. That's what's happening here. Except that Moka Only has decided to call it an album.
(Urbnet)That being said, when you release that much work, not all of it is going to be great, and his latest effort, I'm Delighted, is not great. A 29-song instrumental album with an average song length of just over a minute, you have to really, really like Moka Only to like this album. And indeed, calling I'm Delighted an album might be overselling it.
The problem isn't that I'm Delighted is bad, but that it feels like a rough sketch. There's a lot of good-but-similar jazzy space-hop beats, punctuated by spoken word samples. These songs would be a dope beat for someone to rap over, or they'd make for great beginnings to some great instrumental tracks, but as it is, most of them feel unfinished. Nothing ever happens; very rarely does it feel like the songs are going anywhere.
I'm Delighted feels like going to hang out with your buddy who makes beats, and he shows you what he's been working on, and you're like "Oh, that's pretty dope." And it is indeed pretty dope — but none of the things he played you feel like songs, instrumental or otherwise. That's what's happening here. Except that Moka Only has decided to call it an album.