Posted on 08/19/2008
With the longest track clocking in at 2:23, award-winning producer/emcee Moka Only formulates a collection of basement beat hip-hop that swoops in and grabs your attention without sounding the least bit rushed. With a sonic palette that sounds more like early Nas or Wu-Tang than his West Coast Swollen Members outfit, this Vancouver native reaches back to New York City’s mid-90s heyday of dark melodies under no-frills rhyming to create a set of straight, intelligent rap.

With a stuffy wax element to it, all of Clap Trap sounds like it was recorded in a closet. Sometimes the songs beg for more clarity, but it’s mostly effective for the moodier tracks like “Mo and Mo” or “Piano Trak.” “How Little Do You Know” is a synth-heavy beat with a fun, head-nod vibe to it. “Clap Trap,” “Summer Stalker” and “Bank On It” are already dope tracks that switch up the beat in the last minute or so teasing a completely different styled instrumental. “Trinity Hill” features a fluttery sax that breaks through the deep bass to complement Moka Only’s ‘remember when’ summer chill out track. Though Moka Only’s flow rarely creeps above a growl making many of the songs sound deceptively bleak, he hits a bright, albeit bittersweet, moment on “Trinity Hill” as he wonders, “Remember when DJs introduced new cuts/you didn’t have to pay’em grands/they always played the new stuff.” The natural conclusion to a set of grimy beats is a spacey, electronic cover of The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” done with enough longing and regret to give the wistful original an edgier twist.

Clap Trap is a competent set of hip-hop that focuses on tight beats more than rhyme scheme histrionics and flamboyant guest appearances. Besides wisely keeping the song length to a minimum, Moka Only slightly alters his flow often enough to keep you interested (“Colors Don’t Run”). Clap Trap just might be the best forty minutes of music you’ll hear all summer.

- Candace L.