Eryk Moore Takes Listeners "Beyond the Stage"
Written By AYANNA G
(A Hip-Hop Infused Spoken Word Diary...)
Lots of spoken word artists here in ....Atlanta.... catch a bad rap for being too
"earthy" or "militant." But there are few artists whose
work fans can say actually evolve over time. Eryk Moore, a New York transplant to the Atlanta entertainment scene, does....more than wax poetic on his latest CD, Beyond
the Stage. I have heard my fair share of poets and spoken word artists over
the years, and wasn't quite sure what the album would offer my ears. But upon
pressing PLAY, I was immediately transported into Moore's lyrical world.
Beyond the Stage...
It's hard not to become drawn into the first track, aptly named, "Beyond
the Stage." Moore appears to read a bit of his mental diary over the soulful horns from James
Brown sample "King Heroin." But as soon as "Church"
begins (the 2nd track), it is quite evident that his dedication to authentic
hip-hop is quite solid. Amongst looped choir vocals and Bahamadia samples, Eryk
Moore's lyrics tumble out of his mouth like verses from a hip-hop
Bible. But just as I got comfortable nodding my head, the music ceased—and his
words were punctuated by the silence that one would expect when visiting an
incense-filled coffeehouse ("Goodbye Lie Lullabye".) On any
other CD, these silent breaks between songs might seem trite. But on Beyond
the Stage I realized that the silence is necessary to really appreciate Moore's storytelling
ability.
But getting back to the music...
Long story short: "Msundastood" made me want to dance from the
first 16 bars. Moore states in this track that "16 bars
don't make a hot song." And he's right. But in this case the remaining bars
are just as enticing as the first.
He draws upon theatrical pop culture by cleverly inserting one of the most
famous
quotes from epic film, 300 into his piece titled "Who."
The machismo offered by many male spoken word artists seems eclipsed by the
aggressive, yet competent lyrics
of this track. Is Eryk Moore the greatest lyricist of all time? Maybe, maybe
not; but this song just might convince you otherwise.
"Jeckyl's Hyde" invokes
the artist's sensitive side (with help from producer Danielle Reed and a Lenny
Kravitz sample from the Are You Gonna Go My
Way album.) But on this song, Moore intelligently eschews sappiness in favor of frank dialogue.
Clearly, my favorite track on the album is "Sick and Tired." And
while I'm certain this track might make dozens of spoken word artists see red,
I found the sentiments therein wildly hilarious. With his "real talk"
he lists all the nuances of the spoken word/hip-hop scene that he (and I'm sure scores of others) are sick and tired
of. Some of the annoyances named: Spoken word artists who mimic each others'
vocal inflections while performing ("Do youuuu talk like thissssss?"),
informal groupies of the arts scene, and even the poets whose bark is a bit
stronger than their lyrical bite. Oh yes, "Sick and Tired" is the
track to be reckoned with.
Other Mentionables...
Many spoken word artists are known for delving into sexual territory in their
pieces. Moore
is no different in that regard. But instead of heaping on a pile of explicit
descriptions, he incorporates a conversational tone that makes a lady think
he's talking directly to her and only her ("Easy.")
Listen to this CD and you'll appreciate the sprinkling of feminine energy on
tracks like "Make it to Heaven"
just as much as you'll enjoy the rock-tinged "Slam", a song that
showcases the wordplay that Eryk Moore is known for.
In perusing this album, I felt that I was privy to the private thoughts that
many famous hip-hop artists are afraid to reveal on their CDs. Spoken word
artists come a dime a dozen. Many of them are good. Some are really good. But
there are very few who offer projects that are as musically solid and lyrically
diverse as Beyond the Stage. Moore's "ménage a' trios with rhythm and
blues" is quite evident on this album. It takes more than just a few well-placed
rhymes to create a good spoken word project; of that, this album is proof.
Full Credit Listings / Information:
www.erykmoore.com
Poohmafella Records
www.poohmafellarecords.com