Tash and Black Silver----Blood, Sweat & Beers

Tash and Black Silver-Blood, Sweat and Beers--(2013)

Artist: Tash and Black Silver

Mixtape: Blood, Sweat and Beers

Label: Independent

Producers: Pi Beats, Thayod Ausar, DJ Obi, Amadaus Melodies, Monsta Beats

The west coast still has that flavor full of beats and rhymes. This includes Tash aka Catastrophe from the infamous legendary group Tha Alkaholiks who is putting in work in the studio. With two solo albums in his back pocket, he teams up with Black Silver to put a hot project titled Blood, Sweat and Beers.

This album puts people on the west coast vibe that they had not lost. The intro to the album brings back memories on sitting on the stoop with the forty in hand hollering at the fine female crossing the street. The initial song starts off with the Ohio Players influenced sample to the DJ Obi produced track “You Won’t” where this spells originality. This innovative track pulled tricks in the sample which features West coast rhyme slinger Rass Kass and Self Jupiter as they assisted Tash straight bodied this track. You can also hear the innovativeness in stepping over the bar with tracks like “The LIKWIT” featuring King Tee and E-Swift, the bells knocking highly energized  “Sip and Stir” paying homage to the drinkers and “Wired” featuring Kool Keith and Tristate. The producers came correct in this album.

Tash lyrical prowess has not dwindled at all whether as a solo artist or with his Alkoholik brethren. The guest appearances fit hand and glove on the project. Stated before, “Wired” and “You Won’t” blended really well while the posse cut “Futuristic Gangster” is one of the standout tracks with the awesome change up to the Kool and the Gang sample where all emcees ripped it west coast ape style especially Tash’s sixteen: ayo I’m hectic, eclectic, my systems off the metric/stay the fuck away from Tash cuz my style is electric/protected by the red black and the Emerald/ I do a lot of shows like the black Jimmy Kimmel. The album continues with the money flashing aspect of the fast beat to “Getting Money” featuring Rass Kass suitable for the clubs while others tracks about the opposite sex such as “The X” and relationship influenced “Can’t Tie Us Down” puts another perspective in the differences between dating and love.

This project is based on innovation while reinventing the wheel. This works in their favor by getting the west coast on their side and the east coast fans that adore the boom bap music and that 90’s West coast feel. Tash and Black Silver expanded cohesiveness to the album with the guest appearances and the awesome production that fits their lyrical cadence. A few minor missteps such as the Agallah assisted track “Bee’s and Honey” love the hard beat with the kicks and the heavy knocks as Tash and Agallah ripped it but the chorus is a little monotonous. Not one of the strong tracks but it’s passable and “Skeptical” was an okay passable track despite the cool thundering sound and the dark feel behind it. Despite the minor ones the skits are cool and this doesn’t lose the consistency of the album. This album is a must listen to for the listeners because this is definitely living up to the hype.

            Strong Tracks: “You Won’t”, “Sip N Stir”, “Wired”, “Futuristic Gangster”, “The X”, “Can’t Tie Us Down”

            Rating: out of

Go download Tash and Black Silver project Blood, Sweat & Beers on bandcamp!