Wrekonize

Local MC Wrekonize has recently dropped his latest mixtape, Elevator Music, and it's so far one of the strongest hip-hop releases of the year. That's not exclusive to independent artists, as the tracks on Elevator Music are solid enough to compete with anything put out by a major record label as well. While most artists use mixtapes strictly to advertise their product or as a home for unfinished album material, Wrek cleverly combines original tracks, some hilarious skits, and rewind-the-tape wordplay, making Elevator Music flow smoothly. The production work is what stands out, as the Miami-based MC uses select instrumentals from Jaylib and Bonobo, along with guest appearances from his Baggins Family affiliates, to aid in the beatmaking process. Local rapper Bernbiz comes out swinging on the hype track "Robot Rock," and other tunes such as "Details" featuring Ryan Evans are quality compositions also. Lyrically, Wrek considers himself "a bullet in life's gun, ready to strike a licensed eardrum" (on the song "Repairs"), but those words speak the truth. He's good at dropping science on everyday topics that people can relate to, like overpriced oil on "Gassed Up" or finding his girl cheating on him in "My Way Out." He even raps for a full track using only movie titles for lyrics on the song "Cinema Addict." Even though it's just a mixtape, Elevator Music is an impressive display of the talents Wrekonize is still eager to unleash on a full LP.