CD Review

Comin’ straight outta Santa Cruz, 20 year old rapper/producer/performer, Proe, delivers to the indie hip-hop scene what many artists tend to forget is at it’s core – good music. Where many of his peers tend to follow the indie formula of mixing influences and styles to come up with a messy new soufflé, calling it “original,” Proe actually has the originality and end product to make that standard formula obsolete. As a rapper, Proe has enough command over his craft to effectively have his lyrics do the talking for the music he’s produced. He takes on issues such as depression in “Cages,” and dream fulfillment on “Move”. Productionwise, his skills are equally as polished, if not more so. The album is peppered with some great sampling sequences, and the beats, in general, are superior. Standout tracks include: “The Prelude,” “Move,” “Who the F*ck is PROE,” “The Last Train Home,” “Cages.”

But not all is perfect in the rapper’s sophomore effort, as a few of the tracks feel as though they don’t quite belong on the aptly-titled album. Too many tracks going in too many different directions diminish its overall focal point. A condensed version of Perfect, however, could stand as one of the most solid independent rap albums of the ‘05.