No matter how you find Tunsi's music, you have to admit he's the real deal. A step beyond indie, he's a true do-it-yourself artist. His newest album Inner-Cept is a display of his unique hip-hop style built from the ground up, totally solo. Tunsi writes and produces everything himself. It's his sixth disc and he's paid his dues and definitely earned some skills. At first you might be distracted by the raw, homemade sound, but give it a chance. Let your ears adjust to the grit and you'll get a dose of hip-hop chops.
It doesn't take long to see Tunsi's got rhymes galore. He raps fast and thinks fast, so you'd better be quick to catch his humor and wordplay. He rails against half-assed MC's in the classic boast rap “Styles.” Anyone with swagger better have the goods to back it up. Not to worry, Tunsi brings some killer flow. In “Hit Me Up” he gives listeners an alternative to the hollow commercial (c)rap on the radio, saying “when you find yourself dancin' and braggin' about your truck, hit me up.” Tunsi successfully defines his music as anti-establishment, non-commercial, substantive, and real. He warns us about mainstream rappers saying “suckin' in lies in disguise/surprise!/you shouldn't believe your eyes.” Tunsi gives us a glimpse into his own life too. In “Lights On The Top” he tells us about police stopping him like a big time drug dealer while on his way home from his job as a dishwasher.
There are a few pitfalls on Inner-Cept. It's 14 tracks long and a total of 50 minutes, but it stays at one mood level the whole time. One beat rolls into the next and the variety is lacking. It gets dull, and it's tough to listen all the way through in one shot. Just a few changes in volume and tempo would do a lot. Doing all his own production is a feat, but these tracks could use some tweaking by a pro. It's got cool beats but the mix is sometimes too raw and chaotic for my taste. Just like a singer, a rapper's voice is his instrument. Also like a singer, the timbre of that voice depends on how the artist uses it. Tunsi needs some tweaking on that front, too.
I dig Tunsi's approach, his independent vibe, and his quality flow. It's good to know real independent artists are out there. With a few tweaks to his final products Tunsi could even rise up from the underground and make a splash, without changing his unconventional style.
Best Tracks: Styles, Lights On The Top, Hit Me Up
May 28, 2010
