Writer’s Block – En Route (2004) (CD) (FLAC + 320 kbps)

Making their first appearance on Key-Kool & Rhettmatic’s 1995 album, “Kozmonautz”, on the song “Visionaries (Stop Actin’ Scary),” Writer’s Block, made up of MCs Lord Zen and Dannu, soon joined the group, also called the Visionaries, that emerged from that session. They helped make 1998’s “Galleries” before they set about working on their first single as a duo, Basically, which came out the following year. In 2000 another Writer’s Block single, “Poetry Explains”, hit shelves, as well as another Visionaries record, “Sophomore Jinx”.

In 2001 yet another single, “No More No Less”, arrived, and by this time en and Dannu had established a loyal fan base in the underground rap scene in L.A. However, it wasn’t until 2004 that their first album, “En Route”, which contained nearly all their previously released A-sides and B-sides, was released on Up Above, with “Next Stop” coming out the following year. “En Route” is sprawling and a little overlong, but over the course of these 20 tracks, the pair mostly keep themselves on the right side.

The first thing one notices with early songs like “Sunset Limited” is that the beats and settings on this album are both immediately gripping and composed of unexpected elements. Unsurprisingly, the track “No More No Less” brags about the care the pair takes in fashioning its beats. Over this, both rappers tend to work solo, taking all or at least most of the verses in any particular song, possibly joining together on the choruses; naturally, this is all in addition to the usual parade of guest stars. “En Route” fundamentally isn’t far removed from the Visionaries’ usual material, but it’s a great addition to the oeuvre.

Tracklist:

01. A Lovely Day At The Station
02. Sunset Limited (Prod. Omid)
03. No More No Less (Cuts by DJ Rhettmatic) (Prod. DJ Rhettmatic)
04. The Confession
05. Truth Serum (Feat. Key Kool) (Cuts by Key Kool) (Prod. Key Kool)
06. Apples N Oranges (Cuts by DJ Rhettmatic) (Prod. Mum’s The Word)
07. Road To Monte Carlo (Cuts by Key Kool) (Prod. Key Kool)
08. Kiyomitro
09. Avenue Of Hope (Prod. Key Kool)
10. Long Riders (Cuts by Chops) (Prod. Mum’s The Word)
11. Basically (Cuts by Key Kool) (Prod. Key Kool)
12. Cyclists Part 1 (Prod. Nucleus)
13. Cyclists Part 2 (Prod. Nucleus)
14. Situations (Prod. Omid)
15. Spin The Wax (Cuts by DJ Rhettmatic) (Prod. Key Kool)
16. Poetry Explains (Cuts by DJ Rhettmatic) (Prod. Key Kool)
17. Uncle Salty Meets The Neighborhood Shaman
18. D.O.S. (Cuts by ICD) (Prod. ICD)
19. Via Satellite (Prod. Key Kool & DJ Rhettmatic)
20. Visionaries, Too (Next Stop) (Prod. DJ Rhettmatic)

Download:

FLAC – Wayshare

320 kbps – Wayshare