EV Productions - WYLA? Review at ThreeDWorld.com.au

August 14, 2007

WYLA? (What’re You Looking At?) is the sophomore full-length from Copperpot, the nom de plume of Chicago hip hop producer Daniel Kuypers. He’s roped in a stellar cast to ride his beats, including KRS One, who appears three times if you count a remix, Masta Ace, Prince Po and UK heavyweights Braintax and Rodney P. Live musicians complement Copperot’s MPC beats – from post-rockers Tortoise and Josh Abrams (Eastern Development, The Root’s Organix) no less. Matthew Lux’s subterranean bass in particular is sublime. The result is finely crafted, melodic hip hop that barely puts a foot wrong in the beats department. Copperpot’s many influences subtly weave depth into his work: in just one three-track sequence, orchestral string flourishes adorn the shuffling drums of Art Of Rap, tribal pipes and accordion blend with the lightest of reggae touches for Dem Know while rap-free Water The Manatee floats eastern European folk over a dubbed-out soundscape. Elsewhere, Copperpot shows how well he does bubbling hot straight-up hip-hop with femcee Psalm One throwing it down on the infectious Blow. The only thing holding Copperpot back is the lyrical content, which varies between the played-out subject of hip-hop itself and awkward stabs at profundity. Fortunately, the rappers’ style makes up for the occasional lack of substance.

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