Great Debut
caliworm99 | Cypress, California United States | 03/03/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If this would get more exposure, a lot of people would be labeling this one of the best debut albums ever. Just trust me, this is a great album. Very fresh, with Esau rapping about many different topics throughout the album. Only 1 skippable track (merry go round), the rest are all great. No song sounds the same as the other, the production is very solid, and Esau comes very nice. Get this."
An unknown gem of underground hip-hop
D. Wilson | NY by way of Cali | 10/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know there are allot of cats out there like myself who are constantly searching for that next great slept-on hip hop album to get hyped about... well if your one of those people then this album is for you. Esau "...The Farewell Tour, The Debut Album..." is about as fitting a title as you could come up with, he dropped this fantastic disc on DIY label Mends Recordings in 2000, blew some minds and made a little noise, then faded into oblivion (if anyone has a line on what happened to Esau or if he's doing or did anything else please drop me a message)... but whether Esau ever does resurface or not, this album is far too good to be so unheard and unknown. Esau has a unique flow and style with a kind of spoken word feel but his voice isn't dull and he's got so much charisma that you stay interested in what he is talking about, which is where he really shines. His lyrics are all over the place, one moment talking about all the reasons why he's going to hell, the next an ode to his record collection, a track dedicated to how whack he is, then a six minute religious themed opus (think "Nature of the Threat" or "Interview with a Vampire" by Ras Kass), next a battle track pitting himself against Supastition, and on and on... you won't get bored with the same old guns, cash, and club b.s. on here (cause it ain't here). To give you a taste of an Esau rhyme this is a snippet from track 4 entitled "I Hate":
"...man I hate friends but I hate not having them, I hate being nice to someone who I can't stand their face, I hate finishing last when running lifes race but regarless I love this word, but I hate this God d*mned place." Of course don't let that single rhyme steer you too much as that's just one that I always enjoy but just the tip of the Esau iceberg (he can be concious and positive too). The beats are handled beautifully by Phatboy who keeps them diverse as Esaus lyrics with some nice scratches and cuts provided by DJ Eagleman. Not sure what else I can say? I guess I'll end this with a quote from Esaus CD insert, "You don't always have to sell a lot of records and make a lot of money, to make a big impact on this hiphop society!" It made one on me... give it a chance and see if it does for you."
Very Nice
L. Egbert | San Francisco, CA | 02/12/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"For real this kid is nice. The production done by Phatboy is tight, and simple so that you can pay ample attention to Esau's lyrics, which are funny at times, but alway on point. No one ever thought there would be a tight emcee from North Carolina, but here he is....cop it."
