Hi Tek - Hi Teknology 2: The Chip

Hi-Tek goes Low Brow

Cincinnati isn’t known as a hot-bed of hip hop. But when you think of the city and the music together, Hi-Tek’s name will arise, guaranteed. Hi-Tek, the super producer, has a long litany of work with formidable MCs, but seems to keep a low profile during the era of forced face-time and overexposure. Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip is his third release and the second in which he employs a compilation of very talented artists in the game today.

Josephine is the first track that jumps out as Ghostface and Pretty Ugly tell the tale of a good girl turned drug addict. Hi-Tek’s Where it Started At is yet another installment in the series of songs that insist that NYC is where it’s at. In an alteration of style (not necessarily a good one) Tek channels the unmistakable sounds of West Coast rap in 1-800-HOMICIDE featuring The Game. So Tired is a journey to the south where Bun B and Devin the Dude join Pretty Ugly on slow and melodic production.

It’s usually not fair game to critique a compilation album released by a producer. Actually it’s never fair; there are just too many variables. You have the producer who puts his/her heart and soul into his beats (Hi-Tek in this case). Then you have a rapper who has 50/50 chance of laying down a wack verse. Then there is the audience (me in this case) who despite his efforts can’t get past the wack rap. Hi-Tek wasn’t able to avoid this classification even with artists such as Nas, Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killah, Busta…I think you get the point. Tek’s beats are eclectic. He even dabbles with sounds from different regions of the country but in the end, they don’t stand strong enough alone. Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip is yet another mediocre album in an era of mediocrity.

Rating: 3 out of 5 matches

Hot Trax: Josephine, March, Where it Started At, So Tired