Posted on 06/24/2008
Listening to Yameen’s debut album Never Knows Best, one can help but think of another Philly-bred producer whose sleeper first LP helped launch him on the fast track to sonic glory. RJD2’s Dead Ringer, with its blend of free-form instrumentals and selected verses from guest emcees, showed the beginnings of a promising career from a new talent. Time will tell if Yameen follows down RJ’s road, but Never Knows is certainly a good first step.

In fact, Never Knows Best plays almost like a stylized demo tape, showcasing Yameen’s talents but leaving the door open for development in the future. Most songs build around the backbone of a repeated drum pattern, a simple structure that allows him to add a patchwork of sonic elements and layers. The title track exemplifies this method, as a thundering drum kick steadies the beat while atmospheric effects and somber, organic tones swirl around it. Several tracks—“Spirit Walker” and “Leonard Pt. 4” among them—continue the intergalactic soul motif with slow, trance-like instrumentals.

Yameen wisely knows when to shift gears, though, as he employs Casual, Azeen and Maylay Sparks to drop verses when needed. Maylay’s appearance on “The Atmosphere” shows how Yameen can adapt his style to suit Sparks’ lyrics, and vice-versa. The producer also receives a welcome assist from DJ Ice Water, who supplies the cuts on “Don’t Go Near the Speakers” and the hometown homage “P-H-I-L-A.”

After listening to the album, one gets the feeling that Yameen is only scratching the surface of his creative abilities here. The missteps (such as the bland dance vibe of “Feels So”) are few, perhaps because he chose to play his debut close to the vest rather than take too many chances. But one can hardly fault him for playing to his strengths, and from the sounds of things, those should only continue to grow.

- Martin Caballero