Mestizo – Dream State (CD) (2007) (FLAC + 320 kbps)

California has one of the most diverse talent pools of emcees in the Hip-Hop community. Whether you’re hyphy, conscious, gangsta, or, in some cases, simply stoned, there is always something for every Hip-Hop head to relate to.

Enter Mestizo, one of the most talented emcees on Chicago-based indie label Galapagos4, and his new album “Dream State,” a rallying cry for the return of Hip-Hop drenched in battle rhymes, shout-outs, and nonstop Cali representin’. The aforementioned “Coast Guard” is a prime example of all of the above, where he admonishes the state of underground Hip-Hop and the theft of its organic sound in one verse, then gives shout-outs to virtually every nation in the world on the next.

Though Mestizo’s strength is his honest, poignant storytelling, he doesn’t hesitate to dabble in a little braggadocio along the way. His subdued yet aggressive collabo with Typical Cat member and fellow G4 signee Qwel is an earnest attempt to show new jacks the errs of their ways; “Even,” on the other hand, finds him getting aggressive with Isiah and a reinvigorated MURS, who drops one of his hungriest verses in years:

However, while battling is certainly not one of Mestizo’s weaknesses, it’s certainly not a strong point, either. He’s more at home when the subject matter allows him to access raw emotion, as on “Rosie,” where he switches from apologetic to angry in coming to grips with a female acquaintance’s rape. The album also ends on a similarly solemn note, where Mestizo awakens from his sleep crying and on the brink of a mental breakdown. Mestizo’s voice gradually weakens as the song progresses.

It’s fitting that an album called “Dream State” would end with Mestizo emerging from a nightmarish slumber, for the majority of its subject matter touches on the artist’s vulnerability as too few rap CDs do in today’s hypermasculine Hip-Hop climate. While it certainly mimics a dream state, with beats and rhymes that dart back-and-forth across every scenario in Mestizo’s mind, by the time that the album ends, you certainly won’t have any trouble trying to remember it.

Tracklist:

01. Rumble Fish
02. Coast Guard
03. Solid Gold
04. PrettyBoy Zold
05. Back Wash (Feat. Joe Dubbs & 2Mex)
06. Suzy Q
07. Confrontational Act
08. Tolerance (Feat. Qwel)
09. Sup’ Girl
10. Please & Thank
11. Beat Flip
12. Creative
13. UMCCC
14. Even (Feat. Isaiah & Murs)
15. Continental Half Time
16. Time Card
17. In The Clouds
18. Spare Change
19. Live
20. Rosie
21. Disclaimer
22. Laughing
23. See Me Out

Download:

FLAC – Wayshare

320 kbps – Wayshare