Dueces Wild

by Vast Aire

Vast Aire has what has to be one of the most recognizable flows in the industry today. He has a tendency to rap in simple rhyming couplets, often pausing just before the rhymed word, which is then often the beginning of the next line or phrase. His delivery is often the best thing on songs where he is providing a featured spot, but it can get a little monotonous over an entire album, and that is true with 'Dueces Wild'.

This album is basically exactly what you would expect from post-Cannibal Ox Vast. You get the Can Ox joint, with an appearance by Vordul Mega (but no El-P on the beat of course). You get the slightly off delivery mentioned above. You get some truly funny and surprising lyrics. You also get those lyrics that really don't make much sense at all if you stop to think about them. From 'The Man With Out Fear':

We moving on up like the Jeffersons
Cause I can change a plane into a starship
I know you dig my style like my ancestor with a magic carpet.
Oh I'm so up on it
I killed Kato and the Brown Hornet.

Huh? Thing is, that's what I buy his albums for.

The best track on this album is 'Gimme Dat Mic', which has Vast trading verses with Copywrite. Some of the weaker tracks are 'Shu (The God of Aire)', which has Vast channelling Saul Williams for a bit before descending into a crude verse that rhymes 'period' with 'period' way too many times, and 'When Starz Fell', the obligatory posse track featuring a bunch of people I've never heard of.

The beats on this album are only so so (and sadly, I'm including production by Oh No and Pete Rock when I say that). I'm well past wishing for another Cannibal Ox project, but I think Vast does better when teamed up with someone consistent, like he did Karniege on the Mighty Joseph album back in the summer.