I have got to get back into NW hip-hop, been sleeping for too long. I had no idea Young EAST rapped. I really liked it.
It's got a Gangsta Nutt / Self Tightld / Len Kapone / early Street Level Records type of thing going for it. You can tell there's not the production budget or studio equipment behind these guys like there is for some of the other artists in town (like the "Home" track from the Jake One album, or somebody working w/ Vitamin D or the Blue Scholars). It doesn't have that "clean" professional type quality sound & production, but on special occasions what you get w/ this type of album is extremely authentic, raw, heartfelt, neighborhood-based hip-hop where on the tracks where the beats are solid, the artist is talented enough to do some awesome things.
My favorite tracks were:
Intro : Awesome beat, awesome monologue, love the shoutouts (damn near every block in the entire CD it seemed like)
Saturated : Raw intensity w/ a quality beat that sounds like my favorite Jadakiss song "Real Hip-Hop"
Food Chain : Adrenaline track w/ an awesome chorus and raw passion & energy behind the lyrics
Comrades : Catchy little guitar beat w/ good rhythm to the lyrics
Great work, I look forward to hearing more stuff down the line (hopefully). I can't stop listening to that Intro, that will definitely be in the "morning drive" rotation for the coming months.