Jammed with over 20 tracks sculpted by almost as many producers, Wordsworth brings serious city issues to the front of his mix with strong beats and satisfying rhymes. More like Talib Kweli than 50 Cent, this Brooklyn native’s aptly titled ‘Mirror Music’ not only reflects but expounds on his often gritty surroundings, refusing to avoid the realities of 21st Century urban life by losing his listeners in the even more disturbingly false hip hop stereotypes drenched in glorified drug dealing, perpetually spinning thousand dollar rims, a circus of stacked hos and sparkling club appearances. Yeah, I understand that MCs will perpetuate bold caricatures and moneyed fantasies as a kind of glorified escapism, but it’s refreshing to hear Wordsworth express his matured views on women and parenting on ‘Trust’ and ‘Being A Man’ without losing a listenable edge to a more preachy approach.
The opening ‘Right Now’ (produced by Ayatollah) kicks off everything with an immediately felt soft blues intro and soul howl loop of some heartfelt singer from yesteryear. I love it when producers and DJs dig deep into the bins for sweet vocal cuts deserving of modern day remixes; it’s more compelling than Diddy simply further exploiting a familiar riff from a Sting or Led Zepplin record for use in an uber pop-friendly 'cross-over' hit. 'EVOL' (also produced by Ayatollah and featuring Justin Time and Masta Ace) does, however, recycle The O’Jays’ ‘Now That We’ve Found Love,’ which was later a smash for Heavy D. And The Boyz, slowing down the original vocal track, avoiding a direct cut and paste refrain while delicately revamping the keyboard based rhythm. This cut also has one of my favorite rhymes: 'The first time I heard all about the Benjamins / I was out trying to get the cake like Entenmanns'.
‘Fast Line’ (produced by Belief) warns against the dangers of indulgence, telling the tales of friends that couldn’t resist the indulgent lifestyles that eventually did them in. ‘Unity’ (featuring Meleni and produced by R. Thentic) is a slow r & b jam that touches on the tragic side of broken communities, families and failed relationships. Wordsworth is obviously working through a load of guilt and frustration, trying to make sense of his past while at the same time attempting to improve himself as both a person and performer. It’s this kind of confessional quality that strengthens his delivery. There’s nothing that is seemingly disingenuous or self aggrandizing in his voice or words. Even with all the difficulties and regrets, he readily exposes the hope, fear, rage and even bewilderment common to the human condition. Despite the heavy material, a track like ‘Point Black,’ (produced by Sebb with nice horn peppering) reminds you that Wordsworth isn’t afraid to lay down a dance-friendly verbal groove.
It’s never enough to just fire up a blunt and freestyle in front of the bathroom mirror. ‘Gonna Be’ (produced by Oddisee) gives real insight into what is takes to make it somewhere in the hip hop hustle and simply survive. Wordsworth painstakingly rhymes through his early difficulties getting friends to show at his sets or get enough time to work through his material at an open mic. Thankfully, he’s proved his worth and worked long and hard enough for Halftooth to put out this strong release. Twenty tracks? What more do you want, son?
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