What we’re gonna do right here is go back. Way back. Back in time. Now queue the squiggly dream sequence and travel all the way back to January of this year. That’s when it was announced that B.Cooper had signed with Derek Minor’s Reflection Music Group. Who would’ve thought that just seven months later B.Cooper would release arguably one of the most solid albums of 2014 thus far with While The City Sleeps. His longtime producer Dirty Rice stepped it up as well with some of his hardest hitting production to date. What B.Cooper has given us is an album that should wake up every sleeping city. If the lyrics and story lines don’t do it, the production value will definitely make you rethink the snooze button when it concerns While The City Sleeps.
What Stood Out
The biggest thing you notice about this album is that it’s trying to take you somewhere. The mood throughout the album is so consistent and so purposeful that it makes you feel like each track was crafted with intent and a sense of direction. Track 3, “Better Days” featuring JGivens and Anthony Mareo is a great example of how well crafted this album is. What you hear is a track that isn’t tied down by trying to have a relevant sound, but rather you hear an artist that’s trying to make classic and timeless music. A quality extremely rare in today’s hip-hop genre.
Aside from B.Cooper & Dirty Rice’s knack for creativity in the concept department, he also shows that his skills in front of (or behind depending on how your mind works) the mic are equally estimable. Those two traits were on display when the video for his single “1994” featuring Foure debuted. His verse on the song wasn’t the most lyrical, but what you get from B.Cooper are lines that are relatable and paint the picture of the song’s theme perfectly. How could rappers not think back to their first rhymes when they hear Coop (can I call him that now?) spit:
It was like 1999 , all I had was lyrics in my notebook/ Never knew how to write a song, verse 60 bars long I ain’t write a hook
The Album Lacked In B.Cooper
So here, we have an album that’s rich in details and top-notch sound quality. B.Cooper and Dirty Rice brought back memories of Gang Starr with the way they just fit together so well. While The City Sleeps shortfall, however, was the overabundance of features. In fact, every song had a feature. It would’ve been great to hear more of B.Cooper. JGiven’s verse on “Better Days” is arguably the best verse on the album, but I wish that wasn’t so. With him being a relatively new artist, having him stand on his own would’ve given us more insight in to who B.Cooper is and let him put more of the album’s concept in his own words.
You Should Be Awake Now
You’re going to be hard pressed to find an album released in 2014 thus far that’s pieced together better than this one. While The City Sleeps is the perfect mixture of depth, honesty, and creativity. It’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of it all. The album is really about opening up eyes to the many plights plaguing society today. Songs like “1Love” featuring Corey Paul and Steve Means shine light on one of the most significant things lacking today; love. If you’re searching for quality new music then While The City Sleeps should not be slept on.
