Verse Essential and Kidd Called Quest------No Invitation Needed

Verse Essential and Kidd Called Quest-No Invitation Needed-----(2013)

Artist: Verse Essential and Kidd Called Quest

Album: No Invitation Needed

Label: Independent

Producer: Kidd Called Quest

2013 is the quality of emcee/producer albums that are running rampant. Anyone can run down a whole list of them and they are pretty solid. How about the Laurelton Queens/Rochester duo of Verse Essential and Kidd Called Quest from Young Black and Gifted? They worked before on the Freedom Is Mine mixtape on the track “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” which made the mixtape the talk about project. With No Invitation Needed slated for the masses, did they change a thing?

            No Invitation Needed captivates the listener to a commanding mode throughout the journey of dark gritty beats provided by Kidd Called Quest that match Verse Essential’s lyrical cadence. The intro starts off with Verse motivating the crowd from one of the shows and it starts off with the title track with starts on the good foot. The diversity of subject matter makes the album listenable like the limitless opportunities to make on From The Bottom to everyone’s human trials and tribulations on My Testimony. The standout tracks on this album are the highly aggressive, cocky infused punch ya in the face track Back To The Basics where Verse gets into ya skin: You lost this battle, it’s me that’s in control/I get the same affect sniffing coke through your nose/of course I’m the best, I shine by my confidence/I’m Michael J. Fox have ya shaking like Parkinsons; and the street anthem Jamaica Queens State of Mind where Kidd Called Quest soulful beat and Verse’s heartfelt lyrics introduce a person to the everyday living of Jamaica Queens. The consistency of the album keeps the musical composure constant with that dark and eerie piano infused Stand By Me to Verse’s hood commentary version of the storytelling track Born Hustler. The album ends unexpected with relationships going wrong on Blood On The Rose to another in your face track Brass Knuckles and the live your life lesson and grab the world by the balls track Human After All where Verse deeply describes his dad to the point that he is his father in one flesh.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW!!!!!! That’s the essence of No Invitation Needed when 718 lyrics blend with the production from the 585. This is another Young Black and Gifted project where Quest does the production and Verse handles the lyrics with no guest appearances. The listener will instantly gravitate to Kidd Called Quest’s head nodding versatility in his beats especially the dark feel beats and Verse’s hood commentary. Verse Essential has grown throughout his projects. Although he always made quality tracks, working with Kidd Called Quest matches his lyrical cadence to the max. Kidd Called Quest went ham on all the Young Black and Gifted series albums in which he is one of the best quality underground producers in New York. There is a reason for the title No Invitation Needed because it’s a solid album, why bother giving out invitations, come in and enjoy quality music. To answer the question, did they change a thing? ABSOLUTELY NOT AND IN THE BEST WAY!!!!

            Strong Tracks: “No Invitation Needed”, “From The Bottom”,” My Testimony”, “Back To The Basics”, “Stand By Me”, “Jamaica Queens State of Mind”, “Stand By Me”

            Rating: out of

Go peep Young Black and Gifted No Invitation Needed On bandcamp