Review by Katie Barthelow
Coming from Central Florida, by way of Yonkers, New York, Dave Raps is a young rapper who released several projects in 2010, third of which Too Unknown, is a mixtape presented by Ashley Outrageous, and mixed by DJ Flow.Mired with several songs that end with something that sounds akin to a vuvuzela (thank you, World Cup for introducing that little sonic joy into our collective noise arsenal), Too Unknown isn’t necessarily a “sit and vibe” –type project, but it can definitely help to get the party started.
“Grind with the whip// lips dry; no Carmex//” are the lines that open the tape. As “High Life” continues, we hear about a little more about Dave: “Wrist on glitter// Hope you aint bitter// Blonde hair, black hair, black John Ritter//” The first track on any project sets the stage (and tone) for the remaining songs. Unfortunately, much of what “High Life” promises is fulfilled in the rest of the tape.
While I admittedly prefer topics with more range than the stereotypical cars, money and women (all referenced in “High Life”), I can humble myself to understand that there is a place for all of that within hip-hop. What I can’t get with are basic end-rhymes that have every other person thinking they can rap. Ultimately, Dave sums it up best himself: “She knows that I’m a rockstar that sorta raps.” There appears to be a greater focus on boasting and braggadocio (rockstar-dom, if you will) than on the art of emceeing (which is indeed an art, and a craft to be honed).
Even a mixtape (which, by definition, is without the expectation for cohesion a full-length studio album garners) should progress either in sound, content, skill or tempo. Dave achieves this as he closes out the tape. “With U” marks the last verse on Too Unknown, and consists of sentimental bars tagged on the forefront of the hook from Chris Brown's "Without You." The last words that leave his mouth, “Although I front, I can’t live my life without you//” are a far cry from the chest thumping that litters the majority of his songs, demonstrative of the aforementioned progression that is imperative in any body of work. I applaud Dave Raps for taking the risk of ending the last thirty seconds of the tape with a voice other than his own, and honestly his bars on "With U" are a glimpse of vulnerability that is refreshing to see.
Overall, this is a tape you'd pop in the car on your way out with friends to get the adrenaline pumping. Would I have liked to hear a little more variety in the content? Sure. Do I think at times the rhyme schemes are a bit pedestrian? Absolutely. But ultimately, featuring both a new take on some of your favorite radio beats as well as some original production, Too Unknown will get you from the crib to the club, ready to have a good night
