CLASSIC RECORD REVIEW - NEW BREED : NINE - Blog

New Breed —consisting of brother and sister duo Rosario "Macho" Ortega and Elsie Vanclief— shocked the world with their brilliant premiere album, Stop The Music, belting out such trademark hits as the Latin salute, "My People" and the club banger, "Verse of The City" Defying odds, New Breed now drops a second set, Nine, that raises the bar even higher.

These Boston natives emerged on the scene over a fifteen years ago and have remarkably exhaled another collection of incredible music. Bucking that disappointing artistic trend of releasing weak second projects which pale in comparison to debut records.

Cut after cut bears infectious grooves, relevant lyrics, and scorching hot production that will have hip hop fans craving for more.

Nine embraces all of the qualities of New Breed's first outing, and offers a more in-depth approach to dealing with current issues. It is a also a concept album, the title representing the nine fruits of the Spirit as stated in scripture. New Breed flow candidly on the topics of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, faith, goodness, and self control.

Song composition is phenomenal, and is enhanced by the duo's fluid flow. Every element, including production, lyrics, theme and showmanship are at a plateau; a larger fan based is guaranteed due in part to Macho's clever verses and Elsie's sharp stanzas, reminiscent of Eve. Elsie even tries her hand in producing by creating the drum-driven track, "Self Control". The introductory "Love" is an assortment of delectable beats, lush vocals, and sets the tone for the album. The repetitive acoustic guitar chord and traces of flute make this one a finger-snappin'-head-bobbin' delight. "Joy" has a throwback feel as producer Dert lights a 70's fuse to it. "Peace" is loaded with signature Tunnel Rats flow and production from Dert as well. "Long Suffering" jumps off as the hardest cut on the album as the Rocky-style tune laces a story of uncompromising values and tells the tale of two that will never sell out for riches or fame. The rest of the project is a bonafied hit, marked by fantastic imagery and word illustration. Nine reaches above and beyond expectations for this sibling crew. Every song stands on its own, and the entire work is sure to spark excitement and rave reviews.

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