Search - Yak Ballz :: Scifentology II

Solid Outing From Y@k {3 ½ Stars}

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 01/30/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The first thing to jump out at me about Yak Ballz is how much he sounds like Cage. When they rhyme together, I always have trouble figuring out who is who (as you've probably heard on track 12). I don't mean that as a diss in any way, but Yak sounds kind of uninspired on this joint and it sounds more like he's settled for giving us his best Cage impression. Maybe it's the production. The production is, in a word, forgettable. There are some strong beats on the album, but they don't exactly grab you. The guest appearances don't really add to the album either. I saw Tame One's name on the track listing, so I skipped straight to it. I was disappointed, to say the very least. Tame seems to have fallen off, and that's coming from a huge Artifacts fan. Joints like "Taking Good Care" probably should've been left off of the album. That track irritated this listener more than anything else.



There are some good songs to be found here when Yak seems to put some effort into his work. "Out Of Range" has some nice production and Yak plays to his strength -- which is, dare I say it, sort of "emo-ish." Apparently, having strong production seems to be when Yak decides to step his game up as evidenced on "Dirt Empire." "War In My Head" also sounds dope over what sounds to me like live instrumentation (don't quote me though).



Scifentology II is a decent release. Things start off kind of slow but pick up toward the middle of the album. It's not going to wow you, but if you're a Yak fan, this should hold you over until his next release. That being said, there's definitely stronger material from Yak Ballz out there to be had. While I find it quite solid, I simply wasn't "wowed" by it. I'd recommend this to Yak fans, but everyone else should probably preview it first. Just my opinion though.



Standout Tracks: A Billion Ways feat. Peter Toh, Out Of Range, Dirt Empire, War In My Head, ChaChing (Clap Your Hands), and Future Deluxe feat. Slow Suicide Stimulus"