Kaz-well – Fish Outta Water (Album Review)

Hip Hop DX rant:

First off fuck Hip Hop DX. They really fucked up on this one. This album was definitely sick. I don’t know much about Kaz-well but I do know he knows how to make a great concept album. He is from the Bay area but doesn’t show any characteristics of Bay Area music that I am familiar with. Yes Fish Outta Water has the same title as the recently released Chali 2Na album, but who gives a fuck. They were released a week apart.  Actually, it looks like this came out first but the original release date for Chali was June 23, 2009 (pushed back to July 7), one week after Kaz-well’s release. This was obviously a coincidence and will have no affect on this review.

Album Review:

Kaz-well seems like a somewhat amateur rap artist who put his all in to produce the best album he could. His lyrics are crafted perfectly to match the 80’s inspired beats provided by DJ Scotty Doo. This album is inventive in so many ways, but does have its low points, mostly due to the apparent inexperience of Kaz. This album comes together as a spiritual, emotional rollercoaster ride. The album begins with his description of his development as an artist stemming as early as infancy. Kaz then shows us he is more than just a stereotypical rapper: first he gives us a motivational track, Whisper of the Gods and follows it up by telling listeners tales of how he  shines with his artistry as opposed to showing off material possessions on Take Me Home. His “back in the days” track, Three Words, takes listeners to his teenage days of puppy love and heartache as listeners witness Kaz getting left by his schoolyard girlfriend. This was probably my favorite just because it is so relatable, not to mention well produced. Kaz touches on so many different subjects on album it is overwhelming. He isn't afraid to get spiritual on here as well. On the track The Beach he is trying to find his definition paradise (heaven, I guess). This type of subject exploration will most likely limit his acceptance in the rap world. Accepted or not this album is thought provoking, original, smooth, and positively inclined. Aside from some noticeable flaws in Kaz-well’s rap delivery the album is near perfect in my eyes. There is no point in breaking this album down track by track, it is a purely conceptual album that is done in such a way that you feel as if Kaz has taken you just where he wants you to go: on a trippy ride though time and a mystical walk in the clouds, 4.5/5. Are you ready for it?

01. Krazy Glue ( 3:40)
02. Whisper Of The Godz ( 3:13)
03. Take Me Home ( 3:55)
04. Three Words ( 4:12)
05. Ain't So Far Away ( 3:01)
06. The Beach ( 2:56)
07. Another Day ( 3:42)
08. Right Here ( 3:28)
09. Let Me In ( 4:39)

Kaz-well - Fish Outta Water Direct Download