By Aaron Calvin
Amateur or relatively unknown rap artists are a fairly predictable type of people. Most feel the need to compensate for their obscurity or, even worse, their lack of talent by filling hundreds of blank CDs with false bravado and a deluge of hip-hop cultural tropes. Fortunately for Mike Petrow and his audience, Wet Paint proves itself through articulation and a refreshing self-consciousness.
A current student of Hofstra University, Petrow cites his influences from the political conscious A Tribe Called Quest to Most Def, as well as the late Eyedea. All of these artists, as well as the archetypal Caucasian rap artist, Eminem, are omnipresent in Petro’s debut album.
The album begins with an intro as manifesto track, setting the tone for the album, and establishing Petrow as someone who is more concerned with legacy and how words and ideas affect the world than wealth or women.
As the album gains momentum, the listener can appreciate the complexity and range in Petrow’s beats. No one track relies on similar beats and samples, nor does any one song maintain a monotonous tone. The first real track, “Don’t Cry,” gives the listener their first taste of the album’s eloquence and gives the album momentum from the beginning. The album then slows down with “What We Do,” with strong verses from Petrow and well-placed guest verse from Kon Hathaway.
“Another Day” shows the rapper’s excellent ear for samples that work well with both his message and his rhythm. The momentum gained through the first tracks of the album is somewhat halted at the track “Plucking Petals,” which sounds lackluster compared to the preceding songs. Its defensive lyrics and boring metaphors are as off-putting as they are ill-conceived.
Fortunately, the album picks up again with “Natural Selection” with a comfortable flow and ear-snagging verses. Once again, Petrow shows his knack for incorporating tasteful guest verses. “The Balance” provides a slowed and bouncy transition to “Thousand Times Over,” a track marked with dissonant sounds and slight bitterness. The stand out track on the second half of the album is “Beat Abuse,” featuring an unsettling atmosphere that draws the listener in. “How Do I Say” changes the tempo yet again, creating the rap equivalent of a piano ballad to help bring the album to a close with personal and biting “Every Word.”
Certainly there is room for growth, as there is with every young and growing artist. The album contains tracks that are quite strong, while others seem lacking, but the most important quality the album exhibits is potential. The dialogue line “We’ve met before, but something tells me you might remember me this time” is incorporated a couple times throughout the album and is an appropriate phrase to summarize the album: You may have met Petrow before, but this album will make you remember him.
When asked whether or not he believes his album will be well received, Petrow replied with this, “My best weapon I have is knowing exactly what kind of music I make.” By creating music that is authentic to him, Mike Petrow sets himself apart.