Rating: NNN
As Supernatural will tell you, the problem with being a champion freestyler is that the energy of a battle rarely makes it from the street corner to the studio intact. Vancouver MC Moka Only might be considered one of the top freestylers on the West Coast, but on record he’s almost too laid-back for his own good.
On Road Life, the MC with the smooth flow and a voice that sounds like Common mixes spontaneous-sounding rhymes with insightful observations. With an emphasis on jazzy breaks and minimal drama, the self-made beats beneath the words only reinforce the chilled-out vibe, and while that isn’t a bad thing, spreading things out over 25 loose songs saps any intensity that Moka Only might have worked up.
