Frequent site submitter Kaydee has released his full-length project, The Transition, and we really like it.  The combination of a old-school sensibility with a sometimes new-school flow makes for a unique style that is easy to get into.  To that end, we are going to highlight a few of our favorite tracks in the hopes that you will reach out and support the artist.

St. Joan of Arc – Starting off with one of my favorite lines from 50 Cent (Damn homie/In high school you was the man, homie/What the fuck happened to you), Kaydee speaks on the what can happen when people peak in high school.  Taking both the male and the female side, he tells two stories that will either have people thinking about people they know or in their feelings about themselves.  The production on this track is not what you would expect as it is almost a folk-styled, acoustic guitar teamed with a bumping bassline.  We also guarantee that the next time you see that person in you life that doesn’t measure up, you will think paying for your weave with your baby bonus.

Just.Another.Ill.Rapper – The first part of this track sounds like it’s going to be the story of how Kaydee is working for his come-up; the beat is nice and his flow is interesting and strong.  What makes this one of our favorite tracks is that there is a monumental switch-up in the middle that gives us a harder beat but with lyrics detailing the work that he had to put in to just to get to the point where he has something to grind for.  The fact that this track is called Just.Another.Ill.Rapper speaks volumes about his awareness of how many rappers could be incredible if people would just give them a chance.  Everything about this just screams what he says at the end of his first verse: this, right here, is my swag.

Chiraq State Of Mind – Utilizing his grimey flow to its fullest, Kaydee using his voice to speak for all of those kids out there that are growing up in places where it seems that the chance of achieving something better is low.  With a production and refrain that is reminiscent of the Friday The 13th movies, he achieves an air of constantly deflating hope while maintaining some of it with the opening speech about children from the ghetto working hard.  A good track that shows some diversity; not only for the artist, but for the people that his music will likely appeal to.

Crime Pays – You would think, seeing the title, that this track would be a glorification of the gangsta lifestyle; it’s not.  This the message of this track is more about how a life of crime can be appealing to someone who feels like they have no chances of getting the money anywhere else.  The lyricism here is on point as he flows over the beat like a champion.  The choice of this track as a follow-up to Chiraq State Of Mind is also a good choice because it makes you feel like this is the outcome if the initial warning isn’t heeded.

Money = Happiness, Pt. 2 – This is a long track but the story it tells is such a good one.  A man with a child on the way rethinking his life and every choice he makes in the future.  The length actually lends to the depth of the track because it makes you feel like this isn’t something that Kaydee is thinking about in a fleeting moment.  The switch-up in the middle of the track also signals a switch in subject matter (somewhat) as the choice that he has made plays out in front of him.  With such an engaging story and such a strong moral, this is one was on repeat for us for a while.

Don’t take the fact that we only highlighted five tracks make you think that the rest of the album is not as good; as we said, we’re just talking about our favorites.  While we may take a little issue with the length of this project, we are really glad that we took the time to listen to it all.  What we came away with is a picture of an artist that has the ability to have fun on a track and then turn around and speak to serious topics with credibility.  The production for every track is interesting and fits the mood, but diverse enough to offer something for even the most sometime-y hip-hop listener.  The lyrics are strong in most cases and the entire project seems to have a deeper story embedded in it.  We ask you to take a listen and see just what the future of rap holds; we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

You can download the tracks individually through the player and show the artist your support.