Big Tone has been around for a while. This Detroit native even worked with Dilla on Welcome to Detroit, so he knows a thing or two about hip-hop. On his latest release, The Art of Ink, not only does he showcase his knowledge of hip-hop, but also his contemporary understanding of American culture, specifically tattoos. Sounds strange, right? Yet it’s actually the perfect concept album for hip-hop. It’s no surprise to anyone that tattoos are becoming much more popular than they used to (I admittedly have some, myself). Even the nerdiest of nerds can have sleeves now-a-days, and the Machisimo behind tattoos has somewhat faded. Big Tone not only recognizes this, but takes the art of inking into his own concept of his art of inking…that is, writing music. This comparison of outlining the deepest of meanings and self-reflective memories or beliefs in both tattoos and writing is one that many can relate to.

“Skin Deep,” the first track on the album, outlines this theme through the words of Big Tone, so everyone understands what the album is about. After that, it goes into a classic hip-hop frenzy. “Pedigree” has lyrical back up from Detroit’s guiltiest, Guilty Simpson, which adds a hard flavor to the track. The following track, “Scapegoat,” is as hip-hop as it comes. Break beat heavy with great lyrics to match, rhymes like “The instincts the hood bring, it’s hard to keep in check/but I’m workin’ nine-to-nine and yet I hardly see a check”, with much more lyrical wordplay that follows. “A Song Called Triumph” has great sampling techniques on the beat, with guest Blu ripping the track up as best as he frequently does. “Peace, Progress, God Bless” is a great close out track. At only under two minutes long, there is just enough rhyming to leave the listener on an uplifting note of, well, peace and progress.

This is ultimately the theme of Big Tone’s album: peace and progress. The imagery of tattoo ink and pen ink is a way to help this theme flow freely throughout the album, and it does an amazing job at it. Detroit does not seem to let down when it comes to hip-hop.

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