Review Summary: I wrote this because I saw that 4 Wiz Khalifa review and had a stroke. Now I'm paralyzed on the left side of my body u fuk
"Most of y'all new school niggas are dick riders. And uh, most of y'all old school niggas are dick riding the dick riders" Baby Boy Manu Li raps on "Go to School," a statement altogether too true of the hip-hop business. Manu Li, like his fellow members in Los Angeles rap collective the comfortingly-named Warm Brew, fancy themselves above such brackish practices- and based on their self-titled EP that won't hurt their integrity or success.
Warm Brew is an exercise in classic West Coast-sounding beats with soulful rapping with a meaningful message. "Doin' It Right" challenges HaLo's "Oh Really" for underground rap's feel-good song of 2011 thus far. MC-producer Espy, Serk Spliff, and Ray Wright discuss watching the Lakers, wishing of having a good singing voice, and the surprisingly down-to-earth dislike of bling over what can only be described as the most mellow beat on the album. The sun near-literally shines out of this track's ass. On "Victory" Warm Brew spouts about a night on the town, cleverly working in a clip of Riley from The Boondocks and a nod to Beverly Hills-based producer Alchemist.
Espy handled the production on the album, with the exception of a handful of songs, and it shows, as the EP is very cohesive as well as extremely chill. It's a very relaxing listen to say the least. Warm Brew's well-penned lyrics, and each rapper's unique yet laid-back flow mixes well with the production, making this at the very least one of the best sounding rap releases of the year.
Oh and there is a song called Tommy Pickles. I see no reason to go any further. Legal link to the album below.
