Laws – “457″ (Mixtape Review)

Laws. Cosigned by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Don Cannon. That's two HUGE co-signs...

K1ng Eljay - I had never heard of this guy until I literally got tired of at his face on every single music blog I went to. I think I was on one and I happened to glance at the track listing and saw production from DJ Khalil and The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (which are easily two of my favorite producers). I also then noticed that he was co-signed by Don Cannon…

That was enough to interest me, but there’s something about Laws complete package that’s just dope. Truthfully.

The Good:

From what I can find out, Laws has been in high demand in certain places, and after hearing the mixtape, you might be able to understand why. The lyrics in place are legit, and are a nice blend between substance, punch-lines, and not-so-lowkey cleverness (“Kids are sleeping on me, first-period homeroom style”). You can also pick up on a sense humor and confidence as he raps at certain times (“Just shut the **** up and go remix ‘A Milli’ again” ). The man is a dope rapper, and there are some songs on here that kept me hitting repeat.

One of the best verses I heard from him was on the track “This Is Me” where he says he’s become all of his favorite rappers combined, and then proceeds to include all of them in his last verse. Extremely original. As I listened to him, it wasn’t hard for me to imagine him becoming a staple in certain hip-hop circles. That’s a good look.

And, as I hinted on above, the production is just strong, whether it’s channeling rock, or if it’s two completely different beats in one song. Featuring soundboard assistance from TN2 Productions, L.A. The Craftzman, Feb. 9, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, 9^th Wonder, DJ Khalil, Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Benjamin Plant, and more, it is safe to say this mixtape SOUNDS NICE.

The Bad:

Sometimes, his hooks were a little bit too manufactured. Some songs suffered because of the lack of strength of the hooks, but a lot of times his lyrics won me back over. If he can strengthen that part of his writing to be more consistent, the sky could be the limit for Laws.

Bottom Line:

Once again, here’s a person that I was sleeping on (music-wise, don’t pause me) and I’m glad to be awakened now. I’m interested to hear his older stuff now, because for the most part, this mixtape is DOPE. Check this one out.

Eljay’s Favorites:

• “Hold You Down”
• “This Is Me”
• “Murder”
• “So Nice”