Rating:
  Review Date: August 6, 2007
  Website: Bisc1 Website
  Label: Embedded Music

Bisc1 “The Stay Up Project Mixtape” Album Review
A lot of review-specific websites will review just about anything, good or bad. Not here homie. We follow the whole ‘If you ain’t got nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ philosophy. So if you see a review on HHL that means someone thought the album was tight and wanted to recommend it to our visitors. Other than that, we got just two rules about what type of albums we WON’T review here at HHL:

Rule 1: Don’t review mixtapes. Mixtapes are mostly old or remixed material, often with a couple collaborations or freestyles. Although great for listening, they don’t make for good review material because they’re often disarranged and lack a cohesive direction.

Rule 2: Don’t review old shit. Let’s face it yo: If we want to compete with the big timers, we can’t get caught promoting albums that are six months old. We gotta keep our readers up on that new, new shit.

Well, I decided to break those stupid ass rules today after hearing Bisc1’s “The Stay Up Project Mixtape.” Even though this album consists of remixes, compilations and intermediate material recorded in between Bisc’s “The Basics EP” of ’05 and an unannounced project scheduled for ’08 release, it is a great listen that deserves attention. And even better, it’s FREE!

Bisc1 is what I like to refer to as an elemental hip-hopper. He covers at least four of the five elements of hip-hop by being a DJ, graffer, rapper, and knowledgeable MC (his breaking skills are to date unknown). And with “The Stay Up Project Mixtape,” Bisc demonstrates major skills on the mic, with intelligent lyrical wordplay, conscious and heartfelt subject matter, and a unique flow and delivery that is distinctively unparalleled in the hip-hop scene today.

The Stay Up Project
Crumbs and Decompression are reinterpreted remixes of tracks found on “The Basics EP.” Crash Test Dummies, City to City, Great Minds, Where You Goin?, Leavin and Perfect World are collaborations between Bisc1 and an array of talented local emcees. And the rest of the tracks give a great glimpse into Bisc’s future direction as an artist and MC.

Tracks like Woodgrain, That Shit, Build and Construct, and Yours and Mine are all feel-good get-up-anthem type of tracks that demonstrate Bisc1’s willingness to stay on the grind, pay his dues and work hard to make it as an MC. This can be seen in the following verse from Woodgrain:

I’ma work, build, hustle and chill
Focus while I master the skill
I’ma grind, move, stack, collect
For more than just money and a pocket paycheck

In Yours and Mine, Bisc encourages the listener to “go for yours,” and spits the following verse, which seems to epitomize his positive outlook and hard work ethic:

Analyze when I rhyme in a mind they coincide
Step off the pavement, escape and fly
Bugged out times you can choose your side
Or ride down the center, in the end you’ll be fine
I find my faith in the basic rib cage
Laced with the waist to make them good days
I say stay up and get it while you can too
Advance no stilts stands traffic jam
From a paint can to a page in the forest
We on the tour bus great explorers
New York to California break them boarders
I suggest you get up and try to go for it

Other tracks like Heavy Metal and People Watching demonstrate Bisc1’s ability to construct relevant subject matter with societal implications. Heavy Metal is an anti-gun track that exclaims to the youth, “Don’t Shoot!” The following verse makes some great points about gun culture in our country:

This is America man that’s what you supposed to do
Manufactured, packaged, sold to you
Cocked back hammers put a hole in you
This ain’t a video game they got control of you
Somebody’s baby took back to the essence
By somebody’s baby – oh how hectic
News flash but y’all don’t catch the message
Can’t return bullets for no cash or credit

Overall, “The Stay Up Project Mixtape” by Bisc1 is easily one of the must have underground albums of the year. Not only is it dope and free, but it gives a great introduction to one of New York City’s fastest-rising MCs. If this is any indication of what we can expect from Bisc1 in the future, we’ve all got a lot to look forward to. Personally, after hearing this I can’t wait for his new album to drop. Go download this mixtape and you’ll see what I mean. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. DM Intro
2. Crumbs rmx
3. Woodgrain
4. Decompression rmx
5. That Shit
6. Crash Test Dummies
7. City to City
8. Somewhere In Between
9. Build and Construct
10. Great Minds
11. Where You Goin?
12. Yours and Mine
13. Generation Gap
14. Heavy Metal
15. Leavin
16. People Watching
17. Perfect World rmx