MUSIC REVIEWS
Relentless - PDX Mixtape Volume 2
David Allun Jones
Thanks to trend-hopping emcees, money grubbing corporations and limited radio and video playlists, on-the-rise Portland rapper Relentless believes hip hop is on it’s deathbed. It’s not the first time it’s been said and it won’t be the last since it’s no secret that the in the genre’s meteoric rise as pop culture dominant and multi-billion dollar empire, much of the inspiration, innocence and rawness that defined it’s “Golden Age” is, at least in the most obvious sense, gone. But despite the overdone clich of the pronouncement, Relentless fulfills a promise of bringing rap back to it’s core, reviving and revising the alterna-rap Native Tongues movement of the early nineties and forcing audiences not just to listen but to think as well.
Rhyming since 1998, Relentless has shared the stage with underground sensation J-Ritz and recorded with other PDX-based local acts Shaydo and Commenter-E. On this second mixtape-styled collection, a preview for his upcoming full length album, Advance Teknologies, Relentless burns through instrumentals both well-known and not-so-known, building off their respective moods and unleashing a lyrical firepower that’s focused and thought-provoking. Such esteemed compliments are justified with definitive entries “RIP Hip Hop” and “Your World”. The former rides to the anthemic “Rocky”-like beat of Juelz Santana’s “Mic Check 1, 2” as Relentless feverishly criticizes those who lead rap music to an early grave while the latter describes the current state of the world (“Economic recession/ Financial oppression/ So many people got prescriptions for depression/ Internet obsession/ St. Helens waking up after a decade of rest and/ New Pope getting blessed and/ MJ in a mess and…”) with the undertone of a harrowing doomsday prophecy. Elsewhere the hypnotic Commenter-E collaboration, “That’s Life” adds to the poetic turmoil with a darkened look at how life choices can drastically effect one’s destiny for better or worst.
But there’s more to Relentless than poignant apocalyptic visions, balancing out the collection from leaning too much to the depressing. When most rapper do sensitive material it’s usually received as novelty, a requisite aim for radio or the ladies, if only because it’s in such stark contrast to their usual comically macho subject matter. With Relentless, songs of tender earnestness (“Can’t No”) or Nubian adoration (“Really Want To Know Ya”) are just a natural extension of his humane persona. Only the playful “ABC’s of Love” nears the line of corniess with it’s alphabetized list of appreciation to a lover, but it’s saved by a charming hook and the irresistible melody of Faith Evans’ “Jealousy”.
Since it’s put together as more or less a demonstration of his skills to further hype his official album, Volume II falters when it comes to aural quality. Some songs come through clear while others sound too much like a bedroom studio creation, but whether the sound is poor or pristine, Relentless’ raw talent shines through, shining the light on his obvious strengths as a solid songwriter and lyricist. With just a little more studio polish, Relentless has the dexterity to become a noteworthy figure of rap and hopefully rescue it from it’s descending slope.
To learn more about Relentless, listen to his music and watch his video for “Your World”, click here.
For further information about upcoming shows, click here.
