The Alchemist will never be mentioned as an all-time great on the mic, but his presence and flow illuminate a side to him that had previously been all but non-existent. The real surprise though comes with Al's rhyming and the debut of the Step Brothers on 'So Fresh'. The Alchemist provides some lush production on three tracks: 'So Fresh', 'The Far Left' and 'To Whom it May Concern', which has come to be expected at this stage in his career. The midway point brings 'Don't Hate' which is a clever back and forth between Evidence and Defari, reminiscent of an EPMD track, but not derivitive in the least, with Ev's Lo-Fi beat and both MC's displaying their unique talents. It is a haunting track, that showcases a heady topic, but still has flavor and levity. The EP never really loses steam from this point, with 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' Featuring Phonte of Little Brother, Blu and Will.I.Am on the hook.

Repeated listens reveal an uncanny attention to detail, and show an MC with a rock solid reputation and track record, updating his approach. Lines like 'A Missed Call is just as good as a Message' are surely going to go over many heads the first time around, but that is what makes this project special. What truly makes it special though, is that Evidence has found his voice, and is comfortable using what seem to be in-jokes and deft wordplay to convey his thoughts. The Opening Lines - 'Not a worry in the world when I started, Still young and restless, hurry up and wait.' - set the stage for an expansion of the tried and true template used in past incarnations of Evidence as an MC.He is using varied rhyme schemes, alternating between internal schemes and multiple syllable rhyming effortlessly. 'The Layover' opens the project with ascending synths, jittering about in the backdrop, as Evidence recalls how things aren't quite the same as they used to be. Rather, it defies these preconcieved notions and delivers Nine songs and One interlude that all serve a purpose and take you on a journey, while Ev is waiting to take off. The Layover EP, however does not cater to these expectations. Throw in numerous guest appearances, one-off production credits and manning the boards for Planet Asia's The Medicine album, and one would think they knew what to expect coming into this EP: Solid, often times subdued rhymes over amazing production and a healthy dose of turntable wizardry. Review Summary: 'This is the Cold Weather, So get your Coats and Umbrellas'Įvidence, 1/3 of Hip-Hop mainstays Dilated Peoples, at the time of this release had already put out 4 Dilated Peoples Projects, The Weatherman LP and The Layover Mixtape.

The layover review