Broadjam Artist: Black Diamonds
Song: Air Strike
Reviewer: Jeff Roberts
Positive Comments: This has some good beat and heavy vocals that have strong phrasing and sound impact. The main beat is heavy as is and could be even heavier. There’s some compelling and meaningful lyrics–I love the “five year old girl walking with grandpappy” bit–that’s something that could be featured even more because it gets into story that pulls you in. The section with “airstrike…the shots ring out” is really strong. Full disclosure: I already listened to this and “dropped” five stars on it for the Milwaukee youngsters.
Constructive Comments: I think you’re wasting time with the intro–I’d just kick with the beat for 4 or 8 and then hit it. Is “dropping bombs” a fresh rap lyric anymore? I hate self-referential rap, ie “my rhymes better than everybody else, I kill ya, I had to try hard to make it etc”. I’d so much hear rap about something–and that’s where you go when you get into the “airstrike / sound of the angels / no safety” –that’s really meaningful and compelling. I think you could add a lot by putting in a heavy bass line tied tight to the kick part, whether synth or e-bass and some heavy string ensemble parts.