Subtitle - Terrain to Roam
Subtitle’s (aka Giovanni Marks’) unorthodox and neurotic delivery style, reminiscent of Busdriver or Dose One, will either strike you as tired or avant-garde, and his second solo release often alternates between the two extremes. Originally heralding from Compton, Subtitle grew up listening to the greats of West Coast hip-hop lore, but he’s modeled himself in a decidedly different style. His dense and complicated rhymes examine the strange psycho-geography of his soul. This soul-splitting, mind-slipping style means negotiating the clamor and chaos of Marks’ inner monologue, and as a consequence his flows sometimes come off either as ridiculously original, or inaccessible and esoteric at best. With a production list that involves such well-known names as Madlib, Daedelus, Daddy Kev, Nobody, and Thavius Beck, you’d expect more of a variety and texture to the beats prevalent on “Terrain to Roam.” But the emphasis here is on the words, not the beats, and Marks roams his terrain the way a rat paces a cage. “Restructure/Reroute,” a standout track that features Beck, shows the two emcees performing linguistic gymnastics to highlight the specs of their tech equipment. But like all good psychological landscapes, Marks’ album begins to unravel at its end, leaving its listeners more and more in the dark.
3.5 Brooding emcees out of 5
RIYL: Busdriver, Dose One, 2Mex
- Ariel Kitch