B.R.E.W.

Unloading a full clip of concepts he’s had holstered for years, B.R.E.W.’s debut album, ‘Falling On Def Ears’ packs a wallop and fires on all cylinders. It's easy to hear that the veteran emcee and beatsmith, born Corey Brubaker, really attacked the studio with transformative vigor to deliver his first official batch of solo songs.

With his do-it-yourself approach on full display, this eight song project is a bold statement celebrating stick-to-it-iveness.

Immediately from the opening track - “Fresh” – you’ll want to grab a fancy drink and help B.R.E.W. toast musical freedom and beauty over a syrupy, seaside beat from longtime production cohort J-Smalls. With J-Smalls setting the bouncy, summery mood, the lyricist victoriously recollects on what drives him to create:

“Would rather flow with devotion and emotion.
Blending lines instead of sounding just like Ben Stein.
Feeling blessed to progress throughout a span of time.
I'm an addict of this grind.
Never chasing the limelight, I just rhyme tight.
The graffiti wall in my mind's divine…”

Continuing with more nimble and enthralling verses on “More For You”, B.R.E.W. cracks open another feel good jam and narrates his ongoing quest to write the absolute perfect rap verse. Reminiscent of Souls of Mischief in flow and feel, he evokes a flood of emotions – especially on the nostalgia-drenched third verse. Musically, there is a lot going on all at once (one could say there is indeed more for you!) including a new way to flip the classic “Strawberry Letter #23” sample, but nothing distracts or detracts from this fat Bay Area-inspired funk.

“It’s On Me” carries on the theme of a new B.R.E.W. across ‘Falling On Def Ears”. If you’re familiar with his work as a member of The Gateway Drug, it could be easy to get lost in the woods of a B.R.E.W. verse as he had a habit of piling on almost too high with imagery and literary devices.

This track highlights a maturing craftsman: saying more with less while maintaining clarity. Embracing negative space and letting the music breathe, B.R.E.W. seems to contemplate his own thoughts in a way that allows listeners to self-reflect themselves.

"What's your purpose? To be free?
To be a decent human being?
If you're hurting, find yourself.
Here's the key:
Take a look in the mirror and say that 'It's on me'."

Sprinkle in a quiet vocal sample from The Guess Who and pair it with the chorus’s mirror metaphor and you’ve found a symbiotic yin and yang for inspiration and longing.

“It’s On Me” is a Dilated Peoples and 9th Wonder collaboration done with more charisma and heart.

Other album highlights include “Show You How” and “Say Something (Whoa Now)”, both fully (and colorfully) written and produced by B.R.E.W. himself. The organically light and airy synth instrumental of the former perfectly exhibits his booming baritone and sharp lyrical wit.

Meanwhile the latter contains the best verse on the entire release: the quick step, buttery flow of the third and final stanza will really heighten the Hip-Hop experience. Delivered on a Marley-inspired Reggae platter, “Say Something” is a song you can set your watch to thanks to its precision. And coming from an emcee who has been writing and performing music since middle school, B.R.E.W. has found a new pinnacle.

“Falling On Def Ears” deserves attention from all your senses. As a voice grounded in reality, but with a creative flow not limited by bonds of conventional Hip-Hop, B.R.E.W. is ready to let his solo work do all the talking. So lend this hardworking Hip-Hop head a listen. - Forces Of Obvious Luck Media