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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Tabi- Dope Review by the Washinton Post

Tabi Bonney: So Cool, and Hot

Packing plenty into his new micro-album, "Dope," the D.C. rapper has talent to support his grand ambitions. (By Joshua Cogan)

Trying to single out the best song from Tabi Bonney's sophomore album, "Dope," is like trying to pick the coldest ice cube in the tray. The local rapper is infinitely cool, refreshingly concise and remarkably consistent -- three traits that make him an anomaly in today's information age rap-scape, a climate where countless mix-tape torrents
run hot and cold. Coming off the success of "The Pocket," a 2006 hit that slowly permeated Washington's airwaves before splashing down on MTV, he's belatedly returned with a highly listenable nine-track micro-album where the rewards grow exponentially after each listen.

Bonney may take his time, but that doesn't mean he's not ambitious. On "Rock Bammas," he casts a dismissive eye on common street hustlers while
daydreaming of a rare gold statuette: "While you was all in line standing at the little club, or all in the streets tryna' sell your little drugs/I was masterminding how to blow up, watching those Grammys thinking how to show up." (If he ever makes it, let's hope the presenters don't mangle his name -- it's pronounced Ta-bee Boh-nay.)

The chorus of "Rock Bammas" transfers D.C. street slang into a puckish refrain and Bonney continues to show his local roots throughout "Dope," unfurling syllables at go-go-paced tempos. Using the same echo-drenched vocal effects that saturate live go-go recordings, he's quick to
accentuate his verses with guttural grunts ("Rrrrrrahh!") and octave-leaping yelps without ever losing his composure. His flow is fastidiously neat, organized and orderly -- one rhyme in front of the other.

Over the lilting reggae beat of "Rich Kids," he introduces himself as if he were hosting an episode of "Cribs" in slow motion: "Oh, hello. Tabi.
Bonney. Welcome. Ice cold, the heat don't melt him."

And with the hypnotic "Kick Rocks," he amplifies his swagger with a dash of the political: "I am legend, my own version coming very soon/But mine's without the weapons and the costumes/This is real life -- all that gun talk played out like British Knights/Unless you're talking revolution, babe. Sign me up for, like, 12 grenades."


Bonney deserves a thicker beat here. Too often over the album's 30 minutes, synthesizers sound brittle, drums feel papery and thin. These tracks will do few favors for Bonney on car stereos and club speakers.

Other detractors might cast Bonney as a mere foil to Wale, the emerging Washington rapper set to make his major label debut this spring. And while they're chummy, (Wale gets a shout-out on "Duhh"), the two rappers couldn't be more different. Where Wale has posited himself as a sleepless overachiever determined for pop greatness, Bonney hovers on
the periphery, practically refusing to break a sweat. With a slew of hungry new rappers vying for space in your iPod each and every day, don't let this one breeze you by.

12 comments:

Mo Betta said...

PROUD! THIS IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT HERE GOOD NEWS IN THE PAPER!

Mr. 40. Watt said...

Bout time da post did a story on Tabi...long overdue!!!

- Mr. 40. Watt -

deucedouble.blogspot.com

3STARS2BARS said...

THE ALBUM IS LIKE JUDAH SAID...........
C L A S S I C

Anonymous said...

Everybody taking about this joint. I got to get it.

Anonymous said...

YO THIS REALLY IS A CLASSIC ...IF DONT GOT GO BUY IT..DONT DOWNLOAD, BURN GO BUY IT.

Monkeyznabarrel.com said...

That's just half of the album there's more to come with Fresh and Superstar. Dope is a pretty good release tho!

KT said...

SUPPORT THE DMV PEOPLE...DONT JUST SCREAM IT!!!! IM PICKING UP ONE WHEN I GET OFF!!!! LOL

DC to BC said...

just bought it on iTunes. what i heard at that adidas joint was like that.

Anonymous said...

is it me or this should have been a album people cop the first day it drop..Its amazing how everyone loves the DMV though

Mr. 40. Watt said...

I copped his 1st joint da same day it & Kingdom Come dropped & bought both. Sadly I remember tryin' 2 convince niggaz in da store 2 give it a chance. Most likely he should do good with sales here. A Washington Post article equals a whole lotta money...don't ask how I know dis time just trust me on dis 1 anonymous haters. If a nigga got a hot single give his album a shot...shit da DMV do it 4 every other cities rappers according 2 sound scan.

- Mr. 40. Watt -

deucedouble.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

AY DOGG...I STOLE MO BETTA'S COPY WHEN I COULDNT FIND MINE...

YOUNG....I ALMOST CRASHED MY CAR LISTENING TO TRAKK 6

"JET SETTER"

THAT BEAT IS FUCKIN RIDICULOUS

I ALWAYS WAS COOL WITH TABI AND SUPPORTED HIS MUSIC BUT DAMN...

THAT ALBUM IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD

GO PICK UP A COPY

-FOLKZ

TOPP DOGG HILL ART STUDIOS
4911 GEORGIA AVE NW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Dj Endo said...

Tabi Bonney is def dope!

He's Billboard Mag's "act to watch" and easily one of the key leaders in 09's 'New Breed of Hip Hop'.

Check out his new track "Rich Kids"!!!
It's off DOPE, the first installment of the three-part series entitled Dope, Fresh, Superstar.

"Rich Kids" mp3 download
http://www.zshare.net/audio/5446914269868acf/