Wordsmith/Chubb Rock - A Crack in the Bridge Review

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When an album like this comes along its hard not for me not to pause and take notice. In a sea of tribute albums, blended mixtapes and collaborative efforts, A Crack in the Bridge makes a truly stand out effort to do what Hip Hop was always meant to.

Bridge the old with the new.

If you've head any of the various tracks that have materialized around the net you'll know that Wordsmith, representing Maryland; was bound for a project of this magnitude. As an Army brat, he nourished his hunger for the music he loved at the expense of his stomach, buying the albums of artists like Eric B and Rakim with lunch money. Chub Rock on the other hand has been an integral part of hip hop's illustrious history since his 1988 self titled debut. While on paper the two may appear to have miles (and years) between them but over these near dozen tracks that's far from obvious.

With a majority of the production handled by Strada, the eleven track “prequel” to the official Bridging the Gap album presents the two artists in spectacular light. This is more of a relay race than the passing the torch that I expected. Each emcee seemed to be challenging the other to raise the stakes, both meeting the task.

Its hard to really find anything at fault here and I find myself hard pressed to look. At most the short track list will leave some saddened, and you won't find a particular track that stands out as a typical single but that's really not the point here. The overall theme of connecting the future of the music and the culture with its past is done with great care here and tends to lend itself more like an old school buddy movie than anything represented musically. The verses on songs like I'm Here Now featuring Kontact and Black Knight as well as the Professa produced Letters through Time prove that this is solid affair that will leave fans and new comers alike anxious to get their hands on Bridging the Gap.

I doubt they will be disappointed.

RATING 3/5 (GREAT ALBUM - RECOMMENDED)

TRACK LISTING
01. Back In f. Kimia Collins (Produced by Strada)
02. Our Luv (Produced by Strada)
03. Wordsmith - Conversation with My Soulmate (Produced by Strada)
04. I'm Here Now f. Kontact & Black Knight (Produced by Street Level)
05. Another Party Joint (Produced by Strada)
06. The New Street Kings f. Articulate & Black Knight (Produced by Strada)
07. Top of the World f. The NU Revolution Camp (Produced by Street Level)
08. Music for the Millennium f. Soulstice (Produced by Capish)
09. Virtual Relaxation f. Kontact & Black Knight (Produced by Professa)
10. Letters through Time f. Kontact & Black Knight (Produced by Professa)
11. Bonus Album Snippet: Bridging the Gap (Produced by Strada)