By T. Love

How is it that an area with so many trailblazers of black culture and artistic innovators doesn’t have its own big time rap star?  In the nineties, DC’s own Questionmark Asylum got a smattering of recognition and in the new millennium Wale briefly sniffed the notoriety of being a famous rapper. However, when Wale was presented with the opportunity to carry DC on his back, he shrank away from the challenge and choked like the Knicks do every year in the playoffs (when they make it.)

DMV heads shouldn’t fear forever being trapped inside the region though, their savior has arrived and will, in all likelihood, lift the profile of the criminally slept on Hip-Hop scene in the DC area.  Phil Ade is dropping his album, The Letterman and demonstrating that it is indeed possible to rep the DMV and be commercially viable at the same time.

Last Friday at Club Policy in DC, 368 Music Group in association with Suite Nation hosted an exclusive, invite only listening party for The Letterman hosted by Dre the Mayor and Raheem Devaughn.  Luckily for residents of Planet Ill, I was invited.  The mood was mellow, the food was excellent and the Ciroc and Fever flowed as Ade stepped in the spot and thanked the attendees for their presence.  Then the music started.

It was immediately apparent that Ade can rhyme his ass off.  There were no ad libs and he wasn’t swagging anything out to hide deficiencies.  What Lupe Fiasco is to the technical aspect of emceeing, Phil Ade is to punch lines and I can prove it.

I submit to you Exhibit A; the track “Rapper Eater”.  Sunny Norway laces Ade with a joint that sounds like the theme for a winning game show contestant looped over snares and bass all hitting on beat in 4/4 time.

“A young arTEEST/ I mean Artest/I’m too fly had to get off the Rockets/but
I’m Clark Kent/ it don’t stop/ I’m headed for the top/ and way beyond/got a
beast inside, you can’t tame it, nah/ on stage I tap in like Savion……I’m
headed for the throne/ feel too ill need a medic for the flow/ so you so
called flow-ers better watch me/ I need my sodium so don’t be actin’ salty”

Exhibit B is “OMG” featuring the artist formerly known as Mad Skillz.  You know how many times Skillz has been outshined on a track? Pretty much never, until now.  Ade shoots the gift like an army sniper with severe PTSD on December 25th.  Skillz verse was dope but it’s not holding a candle to Ade’s
verse.

“I finally got my chance in the game I’ma lock it up/So far ahead I’m a dot
in binoculars/please keep hating and slowly making me popular/ feel like
Seth Rogan and rollers want me to knock ‘em up/ain’t scared of watchin/ and
I see my com plottin’/ but my man carry more heavy metal than Hot Topic”

The only response after hearing something like that is “Oh my God.”

“Young, Black and Successful” is a fast -paced, vibed-out infectious track.  Ade talks about, being black and successful over a Sunny Norway composition that will keep heads nodding or reaching for the glow sticks.

The Letterman has guest shots from a lot of people but the most notable are fellow DMV representative Tabi Bonney and  NY’s Raekwon who seems to be the 2010 Lil Wayne with his omnipresence.  Fortunately for Ade, Bonney brings his Slick Rick-like, slightly nasal flow and does a more-than-serviceable job on the tracks on which he’s featured. These cats have chemistry. Raekwon on the other hand totally mailed it in on the “Hollywood” remix. I don’t know how much loot Phil Ade had to cough up to get such a high profile guest, but it wasn’t worth it, as their styles don’t mesh and Raekwon didn’t deliver his usual excellence on the mic.

Phil Ade, more than anybody, has the potential to make a mark and put DC and the DMV on the map.  His flow is ridiculous and his producers give him steady heat. His music has a distinct DC flavor and as a resident of the DMV, I’m so proud that we’ll finally get the recognition we deserve.  We’ve been holding it down for a minute in the Mid-Atlantic area and our time has come. Phil Ade is going to make it. Watch.

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