Make no mistake, Kansas City's own Prophett Maine ain't no party rapper. And Maine, on his new release, The Rapper, Volume 1, is letting his hometown know it. Aside from the violent bravado that's sprinkled throughout the 12-song disc, The Rapper, to quote Maine again, "ain't gangster rapping, either." On doable tracks such as "For Real" (featuring Daleo and Heated), "Grimmy Azz ... " (featuring 3rd Degree) and "Not the Party Type," Maine's message is clear: He and his crew are mob cats. You know the kind — riding in their souped and cooped whips, rims gleaming as they swerve, switch lanes, bob to the grooves, mischievous at heart but nonviolent in action. That's mob music, and that's The Rapper, Volume 1'smainattraction, pun intended. Prophett Maine, putting his mob-music seal on the release, is responsible for the GMT sound on The Rapper, producing syrupy slow tracks that are heavy on the bass and light on samples — nothing earth-shattering but competent enough to hold the ear. Bringing along Daleo, Heated, 3rd Degree, Young Mill and Rick the Arsonist for the crosstown ride is a good move; those mob cats represent the future of GTM. With Prophett behind the boards, the crew may make a run for KC gold.
