Thanks for the review Sasha Vann………….
Sigmund’s Dope- “Music Notes” 1:1 – When the Sky Turns Green
One small leap changed the color of good music. That’s what Greenspan decided to do on his latest mix tape “When the Sky Turns Green.” A multi-faceted collaboration between Greenspan, supremely recognized producer Judah, illroots.com, DJ Benzi and illvibes-dmv.com, the well-packaged LP serves as a parachute to any aspiring artist who needs some get-up about their business towards a shifting music industry.
Tracks like “Sky Dive” and “Mirrors” establish the viewpoint of Greenspan, making a testament of fearlessness and faith in pursuing the path of music and performing. The all-balls-out content of “Sky Dive” makes bold jabs at unmotivated individuals at large—warning them of the result of failing to represent themselves in a better light:
‘Baltimore n—– put they ‘hood in a handshake/ you represent something or content with the slave name/ End of the Dutchmaster comes nothing but ashes/ and high!’
Stamping the track with lines like that is only cream to the treading, yet transcendently liquid beat by Judah.
“Mirrors,” produced by Greenspan’s leading producer Live Beats, matches the passion of the rapper’s introspective rhymes and bands it with the unyielding voice of Nykki Smalls. Don’t get it twisted though- there’s more than the rock. Greenspan’s ability to deliver thought provoking scales is balanced by tracks that reveal his musical influences. Immortal hip-hop sounds like “Head Bop” featuring Feevaleo and DC’s leading lady on the mic, RatheMC, keep it unprocessed and delivered fresh on the track. “You Know My Name” plays on a rendition of Alicia Keys “You Don’t Know My Name” where Greenspan affirms his cockily-confident persona to certain types of females, who in his words ‘can’t get space in the Blackberry.’
A sample from old-soul squad The Moments puts “Wings” in a different element, like, summer nights on the streets of Detroit 1976-type element. Judah simply produced an environment for a black super hero with Greenspan giving third-person POV on a character needing divine intervention to make it. Black Boo of Mambo Sauce punctuates the song with a paced and firm flow.
One can tell Greenspan is a fan of true music with his choice of production, emcees and vocalists. Especially the vocalists. Staying away from the machine formerly known as Auto tune, Greenspan gives the music world the voices of Smalls, Karron Johnson and Theo, re-creating the primary concept of an R&B/Hip-Hop collaboration in 2009. Other guest producers include Chess the Creator and Kleph Dolla, who without a doubt left their prints on wax. If DJ Benzi was thinking any other way when mixing this tape, the vibe may have been different. However, the music flows emphatically from one track to the next, keeping your ear close to the beat while waiting on the next transition.
Bottom line, Greenspan’s got it. He undoubtedly went in lyrically and cleverly put out a project with the #1’s of the DMV area. If the sky is green now, we can only imagine what it will sound like when Greenspan lands on solid ground.
—Sigmund’s Dope