Quanstar informs us, right off the bat, that he’s no label’s puppet; he has no heavy investors; no managerial team, yet he has managed to tour the country. On his fourth installment The Underdog, from First Team Music, his flow and timing show us how that feat was possible.
A thoughtful lyricist, Quanstar raps philosophically, topically and all in between. His guest stars were well chosen and complemented his style. Akil, of J5 fame, killed it as usual, on “Heard It All Before,” Ghani Gautama on “Caffeine Hustlaz,” and Rock Most on “Blame,” both did fine jobs, even if the songs they guested on were a bit suspect in their theme (Caffeine Hustlaz is about working at a coffee chain) and Nato Caliph was a welcome addition on “Revolution?”
And while the words were strong and tasteful, the beats left me wanting for something aggressive or catchy enough to match Quanstar’s lyrical prowess. They weren’t bad, just a bit understated and, in the worst cases, bland. It’s a good thing the overall feel more than made up for what it lacked in nerve.
Sandwiched between two very short tracks of baby performances is a song called “Raising The Bar,” which must have been consciously named, as it’s the best song on the album. “Mr. Blue Collar” is another good track along with the creeping “Cleansing” and the previously mentioned “Revolution?”
Quanstar sounds like a man who knows his talents and knows that he’s worked hard to get where he is. He plays the underdog part well, maybe too well. And now that we know what he’s capable of, he’s going to have to adapt: Once people expect great things out of you, you’re no longer the underdog.
-Paul Fisher
http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/new-reviews-2010/quanstar-2010072711297/
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