Hustlas Review: No New Taxes by J. Pinder

Available 11/4/08 @ 12AM @ www.onlygp.com

Backpack Wax is one of my favorite releases that I've heard from anyone in Seattle. When you combine the quality of that project with the company he keeps, expectations are very high for any project Pinder brings to the table. Thankfully for us as fans, Pinder does not disappoint. At a lean ten tracks (including an intro without rapz), there isn't a sub par beat, verse, or guest to be found. The real strength of this project to me is how the taut musical backgrounds mesh with Pinder's lyrics, and how he understands how to use his voice to fill up the minimalist tracks. The guest appearances are not phoned in, nor forced - and in one case, steal the show. On the Vita-produced track "It's On", JFK makes a very strong case for being the best rapper in the town with flawless verses that are delivered in a style that is without question, his very own. The new generation of Seattle emcees are fighting for their spot, and with this project, J.Pinder, GMK, Brainstorm, and the heavily slept on Zach Bruce all scribe their own page in what will be another chapter in the story of one of the most exciting times in our cities Hip Hop history. No New Taxes drops tomorrow, November 4th, for the thrifty price of one dollar. Cop it.

-MTK

J. Pinder got a mean buzz even before his sumptuous Backpack Wax mixtape dropped last summer and cemented him as more than a product of hype. A label change, a switch in vision- his long awaited debut LP, at first titled Backpack Theory, is now known as Recipe 4 Success- and a year later, local heads are still anxiously awaiting his definitive album-length statement. Anticipating this, and anxious to get some new material to the public (“damn Vita, when we gonna be done with the record man?” he asks), he’s releasing his new Presidential-themed mixtape No New Taxes, on election day.

Pinder’s staccato yet breezy, word-cascade flow is always gonna draw comparisons to Lupe Fiasco- and I’m very sure he’s tired of that one. But judging by Taxes, Pinder is only getting better at getting more and more of himself into his economical, say-more-with-less bars. With clever lines like “I said I write rhymes/ that don’t even rhyme half the time/ but I don’t mind”, he demonstrates a self-awareness that eludes 99% of Seattle MC’s. With wit, personality, and a truly mean hook game, Pinder has gone a long way towards asserting his independence on this tape; while he’s under the wings of the best to ever come around here, I think it was important he demonstrate that he could fly under his own power- Backpack Wax’s gorgeous Vitamin D production often threatened to overpower this MC’s subtle swag. With some great guest spots from GMK, Brainstorm, Thig Natural, Zach Bruce, and a particularly fierce drop from JFK, this tape also manages to capture the already considerable and ever-climbing level of mic talent Seattle is rich with. This tape is a can’t miss. Here’s to a Happy Election Day, my people.

-Lar

P.S. PAY THE GODDAMN DOLLAR YOU BROKE FUCKS