Hailing from Tallahassee, Florida, Ish and her Soulow Record labelmates are not the typical Southern crew that you might suspect based on the looks of her album cover. Far from any type of bounce music, Ish lists among her skills “Writer, Producer, Singer, Rapper, Guitarist, Bassist, and Drummer.” All off these are displayed on her album, Southern Rapsody, some better than others.
From the first track, “When Eyes Meet,” is evident that Ish has talent. Especially impressive is the fact that on many songs, she does virtually all of the work herself – including instrumentation, lyrics, and singing. Southern Rapsody is first and foremost a hip hop album, but has an original sound that goes beyond traditional hip hop limits. Ish perhaps describes herself best on “MOFO,” saying “People approach me and ask me what I do/ I say I play the guitar and sing, and rap a little, too.” Her singing and production often outshine her rhyming ability. Although her lyrics are fairly straightforward and her delivery is nothing spectacular, Ish deserves credit for addressing important subject matter on her songs. Examples include topics of poverty, race relations, and life in the South on “Cracker Jack,” and the beautiful “A Modern Day Vampire (AIDS)”, an all-singing track accompanied by a mellow piano and drum beat.
Soulow artist Chan Epic is featured on 9 songs, helping with production and sharing emceeing responsibilities. His delivery on the mic contrasts nicely with Ish, and he is a bit more complex with rhyme schemes, as shown on “Some of This”: “Tensions rising, we’re quickly approaching the millenium/ Now every thought expelled through a Pentium/ So what’s the next step?/ I chose to play the architect/ Build with intellect and create a new set.” These rhymes, coupled with Ish’s work on the chorus and guitar, make for one of the best songs on the album.
Southern Rapsody achieves a rare blend of serious subject matter and creative, playful joints. The dopest in the latter category is “Felis Domesticus,” which uses a sample of one of the label’s official cats, “Puffy,” purring over a very funky backdrop. There are no lyrics on the song, just various clips talking about cats, which sound like they must be taken off the Discovery Channel. The production by Chan Epic and Ish will be plenty to have the listener hooked.
With her third release, Ish shows a great deal of maturity as a musician. Although her abilities as an emcee may not be up to the standards of the pickiest of underground listeners, they should enjoy the album for what it is. Ish’s overall talent has the ability to reach a wide variety of music fans, expanding past strict hip hop. And with a little bit of exposure, both she and Chan Epic give Soulow Records a bright future.
Quality: Professional
Delivery: 2.5/5
Lyrics: 3/5
Production/Instrumentation: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
