For some, the phrase "shut it down" means they've reached their personal limit and feel it's time to bring things to a close.
Meanwhile, others like Florida-based artist Eddy "Rawsrvnt" Puyol take the term to be a motivational mantra -- a reminder to give their absolute best effort in any challenge and leave no doubt about who will be declared the victor.
Such is the mindset put behind the new Shut It Down EP the multi-talented entertainer will release on May 19 through his Soul Deep Records label.
The project features a guest artist on each of the five tracks and has Rawsrvnt leaning in to the sports anthem sound heard on several songs from his extensive catalog that have been used in athletic competitions and related national broadcasts.
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Music for The Finals| Posted May 23, 2017
Veteran artist Rawsrvnt is back with his latest EP, Shut it Down. It has been two years since we had a new project from Rawsrvnt, and this time around, Rawsrvnt sticks to a simple script: braggadocio and basketball. The basketball references are consistent; in the five tracks I counted two references to Hakeem Olajuwan, a sportscenter reference and of course references to Jordan, Pippen and Kobe.
The collection doesn't dive deep into any one subject, as that would be difficult given the short form EP. The best verse on the album comes from Teron Carter (GRITS) on the second track, "All In." The delivery is smooth, and Carter's flow is in the pocket through all 16 bars. The only issue is that the verse has strong Israelite references, and even though Kendrick Lamar has put a spotlight on the lesser-known religion, its place on a Christian Hip Hop album may be slightly misplaced.
The album ends on a high note with "On the Line (feat. Japhia Life)." The initial verse whets our appetite for something deeper to come, however, the rest of the song falls flat. The production is good on the track and the beat is nice, but it would be nice to have a little more of Japhia's rapping.
After listening through the album a few times, there are a few further highlights that stand out. The beats hit hard on "Shut It Down" as well as on the opener "There Go That Man."
The Bottom Line: The production on this EP is well done. It is the lack of any meat to chew on lyrically that leaves me wanting more from Shut It Down.
Song to Download Now:
"On The Line feat. Japhia Life" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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