DIZASTERPIECE is a passionate, creative, realism-driven lyricist and hip-hop emcee from New Jersey, with strong roots in the punk and hardcore community. Unlike traditional hip-hop artists, who usually take the path of creating endless mixtapes, Dizasterpiece took the unconventional route, treating this project like every other punk/metal band he was in growing up. He recorded a record, began booking shows, and touring independently, playing rap shows, metal/ hardcore, and indie rock shows, while gaining momentum on his own which led to landing gigs with notable artists such as IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, RAKIM, CAPPADONNA, PETE ROCK & CL SMOOTH, R.A. THE RUGGED MAN, CAGE, CHRIS RIVERS, and DANNY DIABLO all in the last three years.
His new album, Regression Toward The Mean, has just dropped independently and we decided to take a listen.
Overall, the big take away is this is not an album meant for 2021. The album harkens back to the early to mid-90s both musically and in terms of Dizasterpiece’s flow and timbre. That’s not to say the album isn’t good, it is. Dizasterpiece has a nice flow and is a competent lyracist.
The first track “Intro (Sucka MCs)” brings us right into the mid 90s aesthetic that is much of this album. The track does feature a nice music turn at the halfway point that keeps it exciting, but unfortunately, nothing much is made of what could have been a nice change of pace.
“Colors and Whatnot” features a nice jazz loop. This track has a nice gang rap layered effect. Dizasterpiece has a nice flow, but it sounds just as dated as the track. “Hip Hop Is On It’s Way Back” was a single that was put out on its own about a year before the album release. The piano loop is nice and the track provides a great boom-bap bed for Dizasterpiece’s flow, which sounds the most lively and energetic of the album here.
The album tends to get more and more repetitive as it goes on, diving back to the 90s era well over and over, without adding anything modern to freshen up the sound. One wonders what he would be able to achieve, if he were willing to push himself stylistically and update his sound.
The stand-out tracks are “Hip Hop Is On It’s Way Back” and “Echo Chamber”. Fans of House Of Pain, Wu-Tang Clan, and the 90s will enjoy this trip down memory lane to a time when hip hop was from the streets.
