Review Summary: A Pleasant Debut From One Of Hip-Hop's Most Versatile Emcees.
When I think of Apani B, I consider her the special touch to a song. I consider her my favorite collaborator, as her flow seems to fit with any project she's featured on. Her archive of collaborations include excellent musicians such as Nujabes, Jazz Spastiks, Pharoahe Monch, MF DOOM, Talib Kweli, and many others. It didn't take long for me to come across her first full length LP. As I expected, Apani B brings her strong and multipurpose style to the table.
The album opens with a brief saxophone-led Hip-Hop instrumental called "Assimilate". I was indifferent towards it, but afterwards things really started kicking off with "Spot Me" and "Niggas"; the solid production and Apani B's fierce lyricism of those two tracks set the foundation for the entire album. However, one of the best things about Apani B is how reflective, yet uplifting she can be; songs like "Picture This" and "Right the Wrongs" create thought-provoking moments concerning Apani's outlook on New York and her challenges. I believe those moments are what makes Story 2 Tell shine, as she uses Hip-Hop as a medium to explain her experiences in a powerful, thorough, and positive way.
That's not to cut the album short. "Airtight", "The Epidemic", "A Million Eyes", and "Tequila" are collaborative tracks that give Apani B the opportunity to rhyme with different perspectives. She may need to be graceful or firm, but she still delivers charm on her part, as well as the emcees she works with. However, not only are most of the album's dynamics located in the beginning, I feel Story 2 Tell had tracks that couldn't hold its own against others. In addition, there's a slope near the end, with "Ichinisan", "Suckafree", and "Abracadra" being somewhat uninteresting. The songs stay focused, but they don't provide the enthrallment of its predecessors. Story 2 Tell does end on a good note though; the final track "Stay Up" and bonus track "No Matter" steer towards the motivating, introspective approach I appreciate from Apani B.
Despite some inconsistencies, Story 2 Tell shows that Apani B can craft her own momentous selection of tracks. This LP shows that she is more than an artist you only want to hear as a feature, even though she does an excellent job at that.
