AppleJaxx - Databass Mixtape (2008)

01. Dangerous
02. Red Hacker feat. Gibraan
03. U.N.I.T.E. Greeting
04. Databass
05. U.N.I.T.E. Ending
06. The Answer feat. Mr Coldstone
07. Hybrid feat. Mr. Coldstone & Stro the Dean
08. Barcode feat. Brinson & Omega
09. Pomegranate feat Jekob (of the Washington Projects), & Trini
10. Hustlin' feat. Soul P.
11. Apple Drops
12. SupaStarz feat. Nuncio
13. Get Ready feat. A1

REVIEW:

Everything you thought you knew about what a mixtape sounds like is about to be changed. Databass is only Applejaxx's second release, but with the talent he brings on it you'd think he was a veteran.

Databass is based around a futuristic and end-times theme, which is especially evident in the first few tracks. Red Hacker, the second track on the mixtape featuring Gibraan, uses technological terms as metaphors to get the message of the song across. Databass is an eerie and very atmospheric song that serves as a prophecy of the last days and technology's influence in them. Alongside these tracks are two creepy interludes of computerized voices that illustrate the theme of Databass further.

There are also some street-thumpers. The Answer, Hybrid and Hustlin' are thrown in the mix along with the breezy sounding Barcode (which again uses technological metaphors, in this case the chorus seems to describes how we should live our life - the barcode - as a good example to others because we are always being "scanned"). And if you're feeling like a party, the club-banger, Pomegranate, which features Jekob of the Washington Projects and Trini, is sure to get you on and popping. Apple Drops is interesting because it incorporates electric guitar sounds and background vocals by the controversial rapper/singer Tonex, who also produced the track. It's quite entertaining and refreshingly different. SuperStarz speaks on having integrity in the music industry and how God should always be the main focus. Get Ready, the last track, is another hot street-banger that you may have heard off AppleJaxx's previous album, Apple Tree. I'm not sure why he re-released it but nevertheless it's a great song and deserved to be heard multiple times.

The production on all of the tracks is excellent. And it's probably some of the best you'll hear all year. There's a lot of diversity too, so you won't get bored easily.

But Databass could possibly be a bit hard for some people to get into due to the deep lyrics. They can get so poetic and metaphorical at times that they seem almost completely cryptic. While there isn't anything wrong with them message-wise or artistically, some may find the lyrics too overwhelming to understand. But that is AppleJaxx's unique style and what he's known for. He is quite clever in how he illustrates the message he is trying to convey.

AppleJaxx has done a great job with Databass. The idea for the theme is brilliant, the production is outstanding and Jaxx's unique lyrical style tops it all off nicely. This is one of the best releases I have heard all year.