The term ’summer’ implies a few things, none of which stray far from a basic concept: It’s the season to have a damn good time. Perfectly on cue, New York beatmaker David Last and dancehall/reggae artist Zulu have constructed Musically Massive, an album that, for the majority of the time, continuously hits upon this theme in some form or another. At times it’s tailor-made for shaking one’s booty on the dance floor, while others it’s the head-nodding freshness that could provide the background music at your buddy’s BBQ. With production that incorporates an almost-ridiculous spectrum of elements from techno, electro, reggae, dancehall, and Hip-Hop, Last provides the ideal setting for the Panamanian MC to deliver his Caribbean-style vocals. Zulu’s baritone voice, with his assortment of reggae-style harmonies and rap-like flows, sounds right at home over the collection of beats, as he tackles subjects that vary from upbeat club anthems to female-directed sex tunes (the tracks ‘Uptown Party Life’ and ‘Caresss’ are appropriately titled, to say the least).
But be especially careful to avoid the skip button around the midway point of the album, as the mood stiffens up a little and Zulu demonstrates his story-telling abilities on the emotional anti-corruption tale ‘Monday Morning.’ On the following track, ‘License to Kill,’ he tells the tale of an outlaw-turned-mercenary, paralleling the story to musical artists who enjoy the spoils but remain slaves to the corporate world, ‘like rats in a maze.’ While most party-specializing MCs struggle outside the walls of the club, Zulu sounds just as natural and doubly as passionate when delving into deeper topics. And, as this takes place, the equally versatile David Last masterfully alters the atmosphere from electro to techno to dancehall to reggae and back around, following the words wherever they go. One genre simply cannot contain all 14 songs the duo supplies on this offering. Musically Massive indeed.
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