Detroit's own, Nametag, released his latest EP, The Tag Alexander EP on May 28th, and this isn't a project anyone should miss or sleep on. The EP features only six tracks including the intro, and this is a great way to hear Tag's true ability and sound as he limits his features down to only one verse from Ty Farris on the track "The Muscle." While the lyrical features are limited to one, the production credits are given to five different producers.
For anyone who isn't familiar with Tag's sound, it's time to open your ears and get familiar. Tag is the kind of emcee who has a plethora of lyrical talent, and isn't the kind of cliche' rapper by any means. On this specific tape, he has tracks mostly about self empowerment and hard work to get to what he is striving for.
Not to mention, there is even a smooth love track titled "You Are" that is actually pretty good. Often times, rappers will think that they need to incorporate more raps for the ladies and this illusion is simply not true. While a love track (like the one featured on the EP) is a nice change, dedicating entire projects to this concept is never a good move. Though, on "You Are" Tag isn't trying to make a song to get intimate to, which many rappers try to accomplish, he is just opening up his mind, and heart and it sounds genuine, and it's still something all listeners can rock to.
Tag's overall lyrical style is something to admire. He is very versatile in his lyrics, flow, and rhythm, which is evident after taking a few listens to the EP. That being said, the first time listening to The Tag Alexander EP may not completely blow anyone away, however, give it a second listen and some eyes may be opened. Tag has this innate ability to keep people listening, and each track is better than the one it follows, as the EP ends with "REWARD" in which Tag puts his life on display and tells his story while an amazingly serene beat produced by A. Will Traxx plays behind him. There aren't many negatives to point out about the EP's lyrical content, and the few that there may be are all personal preferences rather than Tag's actual ability.
Now that the lyrical aspect of the record has been broken down a bit, lets talk beats shall we? While those people who are avid readers of the reviews may know, I prefer albums with a small number of producers i.e one or two. Though, I do believe that The Tag Alexander EP does a great job at incorporating a full catalog of sounds in only six tracks. This may be because it is an EP so it is a shorter version of work which allows fewer tracks to present to everyone what kind of artist Tag is. No matter what it is, the beats as a whole sound great and they each add a unique dimension to each track that sets the tone, mood, and theme.
Nametag has a great EP on his hands with this one, and hopefully the project can reach as many ears as it deserves to. This is good, positive hip-hop and the empowering lyrics and motto Tag represents is truly inspiring. As stated previously, this isn't a project anyone will want to miss, so get the EP, listen to it, and then comment what you thought of the album!
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