Album: Consequence – Don't Quit Your Day Job

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Queens, New York native Consequence is the ultimate comeback kid having made his debut over twelve years ago alongside his mentors A Tribe Called Quest. After falling into obscurity, everyone’s favourite egomaniacal producer/MC Kanye West brought him back into prominence on his newly set-up, and quite ridiculously named, G.O.O.D (Getting Out Our Dreams) record label. After hitting the mixtape scene ‘Quence has been playing the waiting game until his long-delayed debut would be released. Wait no more, it is finally here, but will Consequence still have the ears of the listeners after all this time.

Much like his Chi-town reppin’ compatriot Kanyeezy, with his recognisable slurred flow, Consequence is able to take lines that would ordinarily sound corny coming from someone else and turn them into quotables. He can also get away with the alarmingly popular trend of reusing the same word at the end of consecutive lines instead of finding a new rhyming word. This approach works to excellent effect on the uplifting sounds of Job Song and the hard-hitting old school drum-driven Callin’ Me. At the same time, he’s able to sound convincing whether on the violent tinged Night Night or the smooth laidback vibe of Feel This Way, with yet another show-stealing performance from John Legend.

While Consequence’s versatility as a performer and songwriter should be applauded, sometimes it sounds forced. As is the case of tracks such as Pretty Little Sexy Mama, while not sounding awful does sound a bit awkward and is filled with those aforementioned corny lines, however they aren’t as redeemable as some of the others on display. The inclusion of previously released tracks like The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and Grammy Family, which are widely available, is somewhat perplexing. You would think after all this time they would have accumulated enough new material, instead of recycling mixtape cuts. If you are not a fan of the signature sound coming out of Kanye’s camp, this album may wear on you.

It’s refreshing to hear an artist who doesn’t take himself too seriously and an album that is fairly light, not on substance but seriousness. If you want an entertaining and enlightening escape, put this on. It’s not groundbreaking, but it accomplishes what it needs to in an effective manner. If you have been disappointed by the slew of marginal releases coming out recently, this is a good antidote. It performs the delicate balancing act of potentially appealing to a wide range of people, regardless of their leanings. Don’t sleep!

Available Through G.O.O.D. Music