Noah23

As awe-inspiring as Noah23 can be as an MC, he continues to leave space for other talents to shine on his tracks and, with its dynamic guest list, Heart of Rock has the juice of a gorgeous mixtape. Buck 65 lends a diabolical beat to "Motor Head," enabling Noah to cut loose on a head-turning boast with a spastic hook. The faux-lounge piano of "Foot Loose" features Mac Lethal mixing up his flow, setting the stage for Noah to bust a dizzying litany of rapid-fire jokes. That same sense of humour shines through on "Lollapalooza," a crazed sponge dripping with pop culture references that's only outshined by the record's centrepiece: "Air Guitar." A posse cut featuring D-Sisive, Bender, Baracuda and Icon the Mic King, the song is actually sort of understated, its pulsing keys and crunk beat leading to a distorted guitar crescendo after every verse. However, its quirky energy perfectly exemplifies Heart of Rock, another brilliant salvo by Noah23.