Album Review platform8470.com DL INCOGNITO - Life's a Collection of Experiences Reported by: cpf In 2003, DL Incognito dropped his debut album 'A Sample And A Drum Machine', and, as he explains in 'Salad', 'forced the fans to say 'who's this, where he from, he be rappin what click?' In a nutshell; this is DL Incognito from Ottawa, Canada reppin Nine Planets. 'I think like the old-school', he admits in the up-tempo 'Winds Of Change', claimin it's time for new rappers to step up. Rappers with 'Verbalerity' who 'do hip-hop and take it back to the Planet Rock, the block sessions, back when breaking was hot, Wild Style video's and a boombox'. It's clear that DL is an addict of the culture. But when he makes music, he's closer to the early new school than to the actual old school. This album is packed with smart backpacker punch-lines ('My story? I guess I backpack my way to glory'), sometimes evident and not too 'far-fetched' ('I'm worldwide like DHL' or 'I ride bass lines with the force of Tsunamis') but he actually does 'ride' a beat with a persistent flow. The beats (most of them are by DL himself) are boom-bap with strings, piano's and funky bass lines. Some of the MPC-crafted beats are 'average': for instance the violent loop and minor bass line of 'Fall Back' and the questionable use of the classic soul sample in 'Hard To Do'. While DL is in the first place an MC, Techtwelve appears to serve DL with great productions. 'Salad', 'Nothing Else Matters', the Babu-ish 'Me & My DJ' and the excellent 'ANR', an anti-A&R song that we haven't heard since RA The Rugged Man's 'Every Record Label Sucks Dick', are absolute highlights. 'I been doin this since Helly Hanssen was in fashion', the 90's are reviving on this album, and we're grateful for that, no matter how trendy it is these days for underground MC's to claim that they are goin back into time! Now excuse us as we're putting on our backpack, stick a lollypop in our mouth, rock our baggy jeans with matchin' polo shirt and bump this fine piece of music. posted by: cpf | 12-22-2005 | rated: phat