Copywrite is a 45-year-old host from Columbus, Ohio, known for being a member of MHz Legacy and a former member of The Weathermen. His 2001 solo debut, The High Exhaulted, became an underground classic, but returned at the turn of the new decade with The Life and Times of Peter Nelson. His third album, God Save the King, has always been my second favorite of his debut albums, closely followed by Murderland, produced by Surock and Blood, Bath & Beyond. C just released his second EP, The High Exhaulted II, a few years ago, which was far superior to Ultrasound: The Rebirth & I, and he maintains that with his sixth full-length LP.
“2nd Coming” opens with some organ, kick and snare so Copywrite lyrically gets into his fray, while the blues-booming bap mix “Bad Motherfucker” talks about being destined to become legendary. “Vibe Injection” shows him flowing in a cooler one minute, then blasting kick, snare and strings through the speakers the next, until the DJ Mighty Mi-produced “Weight 4 It” lovingly admits he’s been laying low Feeling bored.
Swab kills it with samples and edits on “Spanish Mambo,” comparing himself to a warrior in his final days, but then “Sinatra” featuring Breeze Brewin brings the two together on a Frank Sinatra sample It’s enough to properly strip the drums of homage to the chairman himself. “Diamond Bukowski” featuring Bless Picasso, Nino Is and Ras Kass brings a dirty jazz twist to hardcore before “Mixtapes in My Sleep” featuring Mickey Factz is a dusty tribute to the DJs.
“Green Screen” delivers three minutes of pure venom near the end of the album, while “Jeah 2” is the follow-up to Eastern Conference Records’ Eastern Conference All-Stars III selection. “God Particle” tells the story of jazz “Iris” flying above a weird sample while becoming conscious. Slug’s “Turning the Page” closes the record with a look at the grief of losing a loved one and the pain that comes with it.
From what I understand, DJ Mighty Mi will be producing a new EP for C later this year, and “The Last Supper” will continue the trajectory of “The High Exhaulted II” from a few years ago. Definitely one of the best full-lengths Copywrite has offered to date. It’s denser, instrumentally on par with his last EP, and functionally heavier but not overly so, Cwrite’s renewed enthusiasm continues to show.
Score: 8/10
