I don't know whether you heard of E. Fields out of Oakland and his debut cd that dropped in Summer of 2009. Since it is at least decent album I'd like to recommend it to you and present yet another review that BayUndaground.com published some time back.
E. Fields - Handlebars
Rarely do I come across a solo album of an experienced rapper whom I haven't heard of yet. Unfortunately I haven't seen the East Oakland representative E. Fields on none of the hundreds albums that I posses or wrote about. I also had no idea that he's a CEO of his independent record label Game Related Records. Therefore many potential customers may feel reluctant to even briefly glance at the debut "Handlebars" project.
I've been mentioning the flood on the northern California market numerous times. For me it's plain to see, as I'm among the staff responsible for the news section on this website. Fortunately the hereby album by E. Fields stands out from the typical Bay Area releases, mainly due to the fact that such music is no longer recorded; at least it's very difficult to come by one. Productionwise "Handlebars" happen to be filled with smooth and calm vibes that remind me of the west coast 90's. I mean laidback melodies, where subtle instrument sounds mix with the ones from the synthesizer as well as RnB dominating on the hooks. E. Fields himself doesn't present an original voice or flow, yet he came really correct, easily meeting tracks' styles and following their rhythm, even those few faster-paced. Furthermore he's got much to say, maintains listener's attention and often comes up with skillful word plays. Out of 16 tracks only 2 have guests featured, so the main weight will need to be carried on host's shoulders. Rapper proved that he can manage the whole solo project by himself and touched on many personal topics. Don't mistake it for "I'm so this and I've got lots of that" attitude - filled with bragging and boasting. Instead E. Fields tends to focus on various aspects of his life, numerous times talking about women; both the ones that he has feeling towards and the ones that he uses. However he abstains from vulgar language and you'll hear hardly any cuss words or explicit references to sex out here. Obviously there are a few, but songs don't concentrate solely on that. I don't know how old Fields is, yet he seems to be a mature man, which is only confirmed by his lyrics, when he shares his thoughts regarding life overall, mainly present in the second half of the cd. I won't deny, meaningful, thought-provoking bars are a strong point of this project. When we add the mentioned above laidback and smooth music, you'll receive a product far different from the modern hyphy, party-like, mob or pimp type of rap. The majority of decent beats were handled by B. Panks (11 tracks), who is affiliated with Game Related Records. Other than E. Fields himself and Trackademiks prepared 2 cuts each and finally O.A.K. did 1 too. "Handlebars" definitely wouldn't be the same if it weren't for singing in the hooks brought to you by a whole lot of people including Nate, Dyson, Nailah Keeles, Dave Hollister, Jacoria Marzett, Natasha Hill and more. Obviously not everyone will feel this release, for instance the ones who prefer hard drum hits as well as verses filled with vicious emotions. That is why I encourage all fans of laidback vibes and the 90's records to get familiar with E. Fields' debut, as it's really worth it.
If you're looking for "Handlebars" be sure to check the Game Related Records website and the CD Baby on-line store. Eryc, thanks for providing the cd for the review. I hope that the upcoming "Golden Gate Fields" will also be full of quality material.
Tracklist:
01. My Name Ring Bells
02. Cakin' Up
03. How I'm Livin'
04. Spend Some Time
05. 15 Min
06. U R The Kind Of Girl
07. Lookin' At Me
08. Gettin' Money With E. Fields f. K-Loc-A-Motion
09. Wherever U R
10. Enjoy U'r Self f. J Stalin
11. Am I A Player?
12. Take It Slow
13. Thinkin' About You
14. Ur's Truly
15. Don't Nobody
16. Life I Chose
E. Fields - Handlebars
Rarely do I come across a solo album of an experienced rapper whom I haven't heard of yet. Unfortunately I haven't seen the East Oakland representative E. Fields on none of the hundreds albums that I posses or wrote about. I also had no idea that he's a CEO of his independent record label Game Related Records. Therefore many potential customers may feel reluctant to even briefly glance at the debut "Handlebars" project.
I've been mentioning the flood on the northern California market numerous times. For me it's plain to see, as I'm among the staff responsible for the news section on this website. Fortunately the hereby album by E. Fields stands out from the typical Bay Area releases, mainly due to the fact that such music is no longer recorded; at least it's very difficult to come by one. Productionwise "Handlebars" happen to be filled with smooth and calm vibes that remind me of the west coast 90's. I mean laidback melodies, where subtle instrument sounds mix with the ones from the synthesizer as well as RnB dominating on the hooks. E. Fields himself doesn't present an original voice or flow, yet he came really correct, easily meeting tracks' styles and following their rhythm, even those few faster-paced. Furthermore he's got much to say, maintains listener's attention and often comes up with skillful word plays. Out of 16 tracks only 2 have guests featured, so the main weight will need to be carried on host's shoulders. Rapper proved that he can manage the whole solo project by himself and touched on many personal topics. Don't mistake it for "I'm so this and I've got lots of that" attitude - filled with bragging and boasting. Instead E. Fields tends to focus on various aspects of his life, numerous times talking about women; both the ones that he has feeling towards and the ones that he uses. However he abstains from vulgar language and you'll hear hardly any cuss words or explicit references to sex out here. Obviously there are a few, but songs don't concentrate solely on that. I don't know how old Fields is, yet he seems to be a mature man, which is only confirmed by his lyrics, when he shares his thoughts regarding life overall, mainly present in the second half of the cd. I won't deny, meaningful, thought-provoking bars are a strong point of this project. When we add the mentioned above laidback and smooth music, you'll receive a product far different from the modern hyphy, party-like, mob or pimp type of rap. The majority of decent beats were handled by B. Panks (11 tracks), who is affiliated with Game Related Records. Other than E. Fields himself and Trackademiks prepared 2 cuts each and finally O.A.K. did 1 too. "Handlebars" definitely wouldn't be the same if it weren't for singing in the hooks brought to you by a whole lot of people including Nate, Dyson, Nailah Keeles, Dave Hollister, Jacoria Marzett, Natasha Hill and more. Obviously not everyone will feel this release, for instance the ones who prefer hard drum hits as well as verses filled with vicious emotions. That is why I encourage all fans of laidback vibes and the 90's records to get familiar with E. Fields' debut, as it's really worth it.
If you're looking for "Handlebars" be sure to check the Game Related Records website and the CD Baby on-line store. Eryc, thanks for providing the cd for the review. I hope that the upcoming "Golden Gate Fields" will also be full of quality material.
Tracklist:
01. My Name Ring Bells
02. Cakin' Up
03. How I'm Livin'
04. Spend Some Time
05. 15 Min
06. U R The Kind Of Girl
07. Lookin' At Me
08. Gettin' Money With E. Fields f. K-Loc-A-Motion
09. Wherever U R
10. Enjoy U'r Self f. J Stalin
11. Am I A Player?
12. Take It Slow
13. Thinkin' About You
14. Ur's Truly
15. Don't Nobody
16. Life I Chose