http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1zs1VGB33s

This is billed as a review, but it might as well be an infomercial. But instead of shilling haircutting vacuum cleaners (the Ack knows all about the Flobee!) or life-altering trash compacting technology developed by a semi-legendary Canadian boxer, I'm singing the virtues of one DL Incognito. I've always been a fan of what DL does, so I was excited to hear his latest album, A Captured Moment In Time. Now that I've spent some time with it, I'm happy to report it doesn't disappoint in any way, and it strikes me that DL is absolutely one of the best MC's in Canada.

I know, I know, those of you not in Canada and lean towards smart-assery are likely thinking that being one of Canada's best MC's is likely akin to being one of the best NBA players from Canada (Nash, Magloire, uhhh, Dalembert is Canadian now, ahhh, errr...does Mike Smrek still play?), not much comp for the honour. But this isn't really true, I think there's plenty of hip hop talent in Canada, and DL's latest album is a prime example of that. The Ottawa native isn't flashy, doesn't need any gimmicks, and won't try and blind you with super-deep MC science - he's simply an MC with a perfect combination of skills (voice, flow, lyrics, beats) that make him tremendously listenable.

I know that might sound like faint praise, but I mean it as quite the compliment. Some MC's make listening to them like working a part-time job, but not DL, he glides over a track with ease and I could listen to him all day. Well perhaps half a day. Or a couple hours at least, my musical attention span is only so long. Anyway, back on topic, DL makes music I enjoy, and as always with hip hop, production is a big part of that. As far as I can tell, A Captured Moment in time is self-produced, and that ups the impressiveness a couple more notches. The beats are consistently good throughout the whole album, with plenty of horns and strings layered over solid drum tracks. While none are mind blowers per se, there are no filler beats to be found, and that hard to find in this day & time.

Claim To Fame opens the album with DL proclaiming his devotion to hip hop over soaring strings - "If I have to do time, then I'll do 16 with ease". He goes on to cover a wide range of subjects, from materialism to war-hungry governments, in this one song without it feeling forced. That takes skill, and DL has it. Grand Scale is excellent, with DL rhyming about hip hop's global appeal of a sinister beat with plenty of tasty horns. "Keep a couple lines in your fade, an extra limp in your walk, sling editorial talk and stay frost" is an awesome line because it reminds me of cab-drivin' Cappa who is also awesome. The beat on Made It Through is crazy, with some weird 80's sounding keyboards put on top of some pretty banging drums and some sped up vocal samples, but it works in spades and DL kills it: "listen to the song, hip hop's an artform, it's not what's on the radio and dot-com". Word, love this song.

Things get mellowed out in the middle of the album, with the laid-back soul sounds of Fresh To Death and the poignant I Owe It All To You where DL send a shoutout to his late mother, his brother, and others that have made an impact on him. But before things can get too slow, the tempo goes back up with The Atmosphere which features DL trading verses with Toronto's Theology 3 and they make a very solid duo. Air Play has a dark, 70's, jazz-funk beat that works even without a slap bass solo, and finds DL kicking notable quotables all over the track: "don't use narcotics, my minds clear, but money comes thinner than macbook air".

All right, that is enough from me, simply put this is the best Canadian hip hop album I've heard this year and likely one of the best overall. It's twelve very strong songs, and if you're into Canadian hip hop at all, this is a must-own. Leaving Canada aside, if you're into classic hip hop the way it used to be done, then there's no reason not to check out this album.

DL Incognito :: A Captured Moment In Time :: Nine Planets Hip Hop
as reviewed by Emilee Woods

Ottawa's own DL Incognito has made a career out of consistently producing solid albums with little flare or filler. While his rhyme schemes are never going to earn him any Hip Hop Quotables, they are also never in danger of falling into hip hop cliché mode, and, when combined with the fresh beats he always manages to bring out, they are more than adequate to carry the day.

On his fourth album, DL continues his move away from the battle-oriented styles of "A Sample and a Drum Machine," writing songs with titles like "Best Years (I Care)" and "These Are My Adventures" instead of "Audio Coke" and "Spit Forever," which dominated his early releases. "A Captured Moment In Time" finds him tackling a variety of issues – including politics, romance, and hip hop commercialism – but he still sounds best when he's playing the every-man and taking you through his daily struggles.

The opening track, "Claim to Fame," has a nice beat of jazz guitars that rise and fall over mellow strings but is held back by a mediocre lyrical outing by DL. The subject matter is an attempt to be thought provoking, but it comes across as trite instead of insightful, with banal lines like, "In the Middle East the forecast calls for gunshowers / My attitude sours towards these warlords." DL finds his groove on "Too Late Now," the third Techtwelve beat in the first three tracks, where piano chords and arpeggios roll around a sped-up vocal sample and the rhymes focus on the day-to-day living that can grind you down. DL sounds much more comfortable here as he ruminates on his future in hip hop.

"I woke up early in the morning, got a yearnin for herbs
But need somethin in my system just to calm my nerves
For eight hours I'm drownin in the real world
Hunger for my next break so I can finish this verse
Is it a gift or a curse if your co-workers
can go home after work and not be disturbed?
I go home but I always hit the studio first
Lay a verse on the social fabrics of this earth
We converse in reverse about things in the past
Started this with a dream and minimal cash
Now what's left is the dream but no more cash
I spent my emergency stash on my last track
You ask about the next man, I wonder
Every time I write I feel like it's my last summer
Time to move on to something other than rap
But when I think that, the music keeps pullin me back
Can another career choice give me such joy?
Like all around the world the folks know my voice
I remain poised, block the noise of city traffic
Keep tellin myself one day it's gonna haaaappen
But it haaasn't"

When DL sticks to first-person narratives and inner dialogue, he succeeds more often than not. "Made it Through" is the only weak beat on the album, with its awkward synths, but the lyrics are on point as they detail DL's relationship with hip hop and life in general, including a couple digs at his absentee father ("When I pass on my genes to grow my family tree / finally I will be what my father could never be"). "Owe It All To You" slows things down with an awesome swung drum track, lazy strings, and heavy low-end bass. On this one, DL gives props to those who helped guide him on his way, including his brother and his mom who passed away. Once again, he's not doing any lyrical backflips, but he is constructing sincere rhymes that let you in on his perspective. "Atmosphere," featuring Theology 3, is about as hard-hitting as the beats get on this album, with in-your-face horns and insistent drums, and DL spits about his own genuineness in the face of hip hop culture's cookie-cutter personalities:

"Flow like a pimp, Howard played a hustler
But I play myself with the courage I mustered
To get through to you, should this be chopped and screwed?
Played at a slower speed to catch the loop?
Are we all aloof, a parody, a spoof?
The life they depict is just not true"

While this is definitely an ear-pleasing album, the music is all pretty tame, as are the lyrics for the most part. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does prevent the album from being particularly compelling. It's the kind of music you can throw on in the background of virtually any situation without offending anyone, which can be taken any way you want.

I'm sure Canada deserves more attention than it gets within hip hop. I'm sure there are plenty of talented rappers out there just waiting to carry the torch, from Kardinal Offishall to Swollen Members to K-Os. I'm also sure that DL Incognito is not going to be the one to break on through. It's not because he's doing anything wrong. In fact, he's a capable MC with consistently dope production behind him over the course of his four albums. He just lacks that certain je ne sais quoi to make him stand out from the pack. His lyrics are good enough but not particularly intricate; his delivery is not going to jump out and grab you by the throat; and his laid-back vibe lacks the swagger to make it infectious. Yet even despite all that, "A Captured Moment In Time" is still an enjoyable listen from beginning to end that proves why DL is four records deep. Just don't expect to be dissecting it on your headphones for months on end – that's not DL's M.O., and that's fine by me.

Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 7 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 7.5 of 10

Originally posted: May 6, 2008
source: www.RapReviews.com

DL Incognito :: Organic Music for a Digital World
Urbnet Records
Author: Rowald Pruyn

Unintentionally, some MC's turn themselves into gimmicks. They get a strange stage name, conjure up fictional worlds with their words, put themselves in the shoes of people they couldn't or wouldn't be in real life. That's good. Hip-Hop fans need gimmicks, fiction, and horror to escape real life from time to time. That also means we only get to see the side these artists decide to show us. He, or she, stays one-dimensional, not necessarily shallow, but one-dimensional. The Canadian underground dweller DL Incognito shows it isn't always necessary to resort to gimmicks, and isn't afraid to show the good and bad sides of his personality. Get your 3D goggles ready for "Organic Music For A Digital World."

People who make a living with the pastime they love to do most, shouldn't complain. I have heard this catchphrase come out of the mouth of countless extreme sports professionals, movie stars, and random celebrities with unclear pastimes. It's no coincedence, every single one of them is successful at what he or she does, and popular with the general public. In their shadow, there is an army of security guards, busboys, and waitresses who think they have every right to be in their shoes, struggling for stardom. Hip-Hop artists are unequalled in giving a voice to those injured wannabes. Always trying to preserve their art, but also in eternal search of the appreciation of the large audience which could give them fame and fortune.

Maybe DL Incognito has a right to complain when he speaks of his inability to breach the gap between the underground world and the surface dwellers. His previous album were heralded by both critics and music lovers alike, and his sophomore album "Life Is A Collection of Experiences" was awarded the esteemed Juno Award. Juno Award? One of the most prestigious musical awards in Canada, which is DL Incognito's home country.

This geographical misfortune has caused DL to be largely ignored in the neighboring country he so desperately wants to take by force (not Russia). Being Canadian must be the only reason he hasn't made his break in the US, because his confident flow, distinct tone-of-voice, and steamroller bar spitting would have given an American cat a definite head start.

DL Incognito, whose name he interprets as 'delivering lyrics on the down low,' has skills on the mic which are surpassed only by his ability for self-reflection. Which MC you know of would willingly apologize to two women on a record: one his girlfriend, the other his mistress? Most artists would have you believe they are just as skilled at polygamy as they are at rhyming. In real life, they might be latent lap dogs, at the whims of their mistress with a credit card in hand. Somehow DL Incognito wouldn't be caught in that switch stance, but he would be willing to use that same credit card for other enjoyments. DL Incognito doesn't mind speaking of his fetish for rare, luxury footwear ("S.Y.S.G.U"), and cars ("Keep it Movin'"), which he can show off "stepping out of a Benz. That's how I want to represent." He reveals how he wants to pay for all those goodies in "Commerce," which has an infectious hook with a generic outlook and a twist at the end:

"Make money, money
Make money, money, money
Take money, money
Take money, money, money
This ain't about a verse
This is commerce"

Just as easily, he reveals his inner struggle after his mother died of cancer, which caused him to lose himself in his music for emotional shelter ("Nine Months"). He even touches on the transitoriness of life, without hinting at a spectacular 'Tony Montana' demise. While listening to this MC, you get the feeling he is an organic being instead of a digital personality. He sums it all up in "Farewell":

"Will I be considered great without a platinum plaque?
Because I never did rap, for the sake of rap
I put thought behind my bars, but they slept on that
No gangster raps, no guns, no crack
No bodies in the trunk of a Cadillac
No immortal combat, I won't live that long
When I die, will you paint a mural on the wall?
Will my brother be the only one to break my fall?
When I fall from grace
And my face is no longer a face
They will have a print on a magazine's page
When I step off stage for the very last time
Will you comprehend I left enough checks to rewind?
Got my sign on "A Sample and a Drum Machine"
And on "Life's a Collection (of Experiences)" gave a piece of me
By this third time might be my last LP
I make organic music for you digital peeps"

Nine Planets Hiphop resident DJ Techtwelve, largely responsible for the production on "Organic Music For Digital People," shows as much versatile prowess as his lyrical counterpart. Without creating new musical boundaries, Techtwelve manages to concoct a different sound for every single composition on the album. "The Masses" contains menacing classical theme music, which Jerry Bruckheimer and the producer of the cartoon show 'Transformers' both could have used. "Horoscope" blends in Grant Green guitar notes with smooth night club piano tunes, and "Newera" features a wild guitar riff, which sounds like Pink Floyd (but probably isn't).

The only criticism I could think of is DL Incognito's occasional sidesteps into societal analyses, like he does on "Reality Bites," On the second-to-last official track on the album, his lyrics become somewhat generic, with common places like "Racism is real," and "The family is the most important thing in your life." Without denying these words are very true, they do not fit in with the rest of the album.

DL Incognito isn't the most revolutionary artist in the game, but I doubt he is trying to be. With the help of Techtwelve's innovative boom bap treats, "Organic Music for a Digital World" is an album enjoyable for both backpackers and heads who don't feel like listening to the insightful thoughts of this Canadian cat. That makes him, musically and lyrically, a three-dimensional artist, hopefully on his way to a fourth album and dimension.

Music Vibes: 9 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8.5 of 10

Originally posted: October 17, 2006
source: www.RapReviews.com

For those who missed the interview and 3 live performances on MTV Live, here are the links to check that out!

CLICK HERE FOR: The Interview

CLICK HERE FOR: Live In My Element (Live)

CLICK HERE FOR: The Masses (Live)

CLICK HERE FOR: Make A Difference (Live)

DL INCOGNITO - BIOGRAPHY

"Hip-Hop's been dead for years. Witness the resurrection." - DL Incognito

When DL Incognito's first record came out in 2002, he was proclaimed as Canada's best-kept urban secret, a newcomer breathing life into a semi-comatose hip hop scene. The album, called A Sample and a Drum Machine, dug deep into the crates to bring the authenticity of old school hip-hop back to the forefront.

Earning his hip hop stripes the old-fashioned way, DL Incognito began his hip hop career in 1998, performing at showcases, rhyming on mixtapes, appearing on radio shows and steadily developing the reputation he has grown to deserve.

Four years later, and all the buzz about DL being someone to watch out for in the future has been replaced with acclaim for his present accomplishments. A veritable presence in Canadian hip-hop, DL Incognito has succeeded in building on the success of his first album.

DL Incognito released his sophomore album in 2004, called Life's a Collection of Experiences,which received a 2005 Juno nomination for Best Rap Recording. This nomination served to cement his status as one of Canada's premier hip hop artists, and was a reflection of a career that had taken him from music showcases, such as NXNE and the Toronto Urban Music Festival, to headlining his own shows, opening for major hip hop acts on tour and featuring on several seminal Canadian hip-hop tracks. In addition, DL's music has made it overseas to the UK and Asia, proving the accessibility and appeal of his music.

As an emcee, DL Incognito (which means 'delivering lyrics on the low') has been consistently recognized for his lyrical ability and his flow. Music magazine Exclaim! praised his first album, stating that "he [DL]came out of the box slinging similes and metaphors with punch line swagger, dope self-production and a voice reminiscent of the celebrated late MC Big L, earning the respect of those who heard it."

DL Incognito's appreciation for hip-hop is demonstrated by his dedication to his craft - his music achieves authenticity in a music industry that has become commercialized almost beyond recognition. Known for his live shows where DL delivers "a trip down memory lane, you get beats, rhymes and life. No gimmicks just straight hip-hop."

Rounding off his set of talents, DL Incognito is equally respected as an artist and producer, while his beats receive as much attention as his lyrics and performances. DL has his feet firmly planted in all aspects of the hip-hop industry as founder of the independent music label Nine Planets Hip Hop.

DL Incognito's third album, Organic Music for a Digital World, is slated for a June 20th Canadian release and August 1st US release on URBNET Records.