Posted on 09/02/2008
Fans of hardcore hip-hop know it doesnít get any more hardcore than M.O.P. Another east-coast duo, Invizzibl Men (consisting of members MarQ Spekt and Karniege) attempt to reinvent the wheel of "gunmetal rap" with their debut LP. After listening to The Unveiling, however, I honestly have no idea what the said wheel has been reinvented into. Only one phrase comes to mind: "M.O.P. Light."

While Spekt and Karniege do their best to duplicate those ferociously hard hitting rhymes we're used to hearing from groups like the aforementioned Brownsville duo, the futuristic boom-bap of The Unveiling gives Invizzibl Men an unfavorable sonic resemblance to Cannibal Ox, which may explain why Vordul Mega & Vast Aire make individual guest appearances on "Zookeeper" and "Mighty Broady," respectively. Which brings me to one of the two major drawbacks on The Unveiling. Cannibal Ox's entertainingly precise verses as well as C-Rayz Walz's appearance on "T-Rex" create lunar eclipses over Invizzibl Men's contributions.

There are a few bright spots. The dark bass, hard keys and hypnotic break beat of "HipHopPSA," along with the intoxicating drums and vocal samples of "Thin Air" and "Jimmy Swagger" are traces of what The Unveiling as a whole should've sounded like. Unfortunately, the rest of the album's production either swallows the duo whole or presents an equal dose of flatness leaving an end result that is for the lack of a better word, boring. Obviously, debut albums are equivalent to coin tosses and one can only hope and pray for a "knock out of the park" like an Illmatic or a Paid In Full. Perhaps the Invizzibl Men will devote more concentration under the veil before they lift the cover off their next aural sculpture.

- Kendred Spirit