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While other rappers choose to lace their albums with blaring bass and clichéd themes, Arizona native Arsenic a.k.a. Arsenic 2012,  sets himself apart by approaching his latest effort “Famous When I’m Dead” with innovation and creativity. These elements are currently lacking in today’s rap game. The fusion of rock, funk, old school, and percussion sounds throughout this album, are not only refreshing, they are effective. In fact, they maintain the intrinsic quality that hip-hop thrives on: hunger, innovation and audacity. Arsenic still unchanged, brings his crude singing style again, along with handling everything from the mixing to the production on the solo tip.

Now, I don’t know if I should consider this CD a 3^rd release from Arsenic or his sophomore album but either way, this is dope. Once you pass the “Livin’ 2 Fast” intro, you’re blessed with a somber acoustic guitar and a refreshing flow in the track “Fake Fame.” The 70’s vibe on “Hellogoodbye” keeps things moving and matches Arsenic’s peculiar style perfectly. Highlighted moments on this album shine through on the funked out “Test Fate”, the dope “Double + Roads” and “Leader of the Followers”.

Throughout “Famous” you get nonstop in-your-face rhyming from beginning to end – on pretty much any topic or direction you can think of.  Dispensing with convoluted metaphors designed to obfuscate and befuddle, he offers instead common sense tales of day-to-day struggle infused with a dose of street-tested spirituality. This is quite a considerable piece of work and if there’s any justice, is a major step forward hopefully for Arizona hip hop into the mainstream arena.

At this point there’s not much bad to mention, other than some of the singing found on this release. For instance, on the track “Death March”, although a great track, the singing on the chorus takes away from it a bit. But, that’s just a small obstruction from excellence. The best track, however, is the last song- “Change.” Everything from the rhymes to the beat, and even the female sung chorus, just kills it! That’s how an album should end.  From a production standpoint, Arsenic came correct. Who better to produce tracks that blend well with your style than yourself. Arsenic’s “Famous When I’m Dead” is filled with the types of stories that entertain, inform and teach lessons at the same time. Every track on this album is dope; every verse is quotable; every song is both intellectually and socially significant. So, the only thing left is for you to cop this anyway you can! Visit http://www.myspace.com/espionagerecords or  www.myspace.com/arsenic2012 to sample Arsenic. -CyPhEr777

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