Artist: Big V
Album: Being.In.Gods.Vision
Articulation By: Virgil. Cash
Big V is an independent artist from Kinston, NC. I know when you think of NC hip-hop a few artists come to mind. One of the most famous rappers from NC is a current unicorn in the game, J.Cole and former rap star, Petey Pablo. Please do not front on Petey. He had the whole world waving they shirts around like a helicopter. Similar to the situation in Kentucky, North Carolina has not produced a ton nationwide talent. There is however a new wave of Carolina artist popping up that mean business! Rapsody, DaBaby Stunna4Vegas and several more. We are going to take a look into the indie NC Hip-Hop scene and see what they have to offer, starting with the talented Big V. and his album
First thing you will notice about Big V is that he is a Hip-Hop head to the fullest. He delivers bars and punch lines like a vet in the veins of 90’s Hip-Hop. There are no trap drums, no mumbling, and a sound that is unique to him. The music is about life and it is very true to it. Big V speaks on everything from being Happy (Self-Titled) to Love (Color Blind) to just how he feels about the industry (F Ya Playlist). While I think this project is very solid, nothing really stands out. One thing that will help V reach whatever his next level of success is, will be to take a few more risk with his styles and song ideas. The quality is there but take chances like "The Wu" used to. Songs like ‘Rain’ and ‘Achievement’ seem to really work well with his voice and overall delivery. His rugged voice while very distinct could be better served by showing the versatility of his flow over these beautiful soundscapes. Otherwise he runs the risk of becoming tiring on the ears after awhile. There are also a few minor technical issues with the ad libs being a little louder than the main vocals. This can be a distraction and take away from his verses, especially when dealing with a lyricist where each line is crucial. The hooks on the album suffice but never reach a level of wanting to sing along. The album is very short just clocking in at 7 tracks, one being an interlude. It all clocks in at a light 17 minutes though Kanye would be proud. His Skyzone Society production is phenomenal. These are some nice soul beats on this project. Color Blind uses a sample of ‘Real Love’ by Mary J. to perfection.
This is overall a solid album, I don’t think the current rap fan will find anything to be crazy about but "the heads" they know. Big V’s voice is definitely his standout feature but outside of that I feel that everything else is pretty standard in this project. I left with the desire for Big V to become super ambitious or even greedy in his desire to body various styles of rap music. That's what the top tier mc's always prove they can do. Hip-hop heads will lean more towards this album but they won’t find any new ground here. It’s a decent listen and you will likely bop your head to a few of the tracks production. Big V put together a decent project and he is definitely worth checking out, but he is not for everybody. This seems to be an album for the backpackers and hip-hop heads. They would enjoy this project more then the average listener. In the future, I would like to see a longer project with different producers to really get a feel for the range of Big V as an artist. He is definitely one to keep an eye on from NC and that is a fact!
Dope Tho Rating: 6
Key Dope:
Achievements
Rain
Color Blind
Dope Tho Rating System
1-3 = Nope Tho
4-6 = Solid
7-9 = Heat
10 = Rated Dope Tho