Born and raised in Connecticut, The Protege has been a DJ, a producer, a manager and now an MC on the Phenetiks
roster (Rawkus Record.) Recently, he has been gaining momentum as an
artist and that work comes to fruition on his just released 7 track EP,
Untitled is Hard Enough.
Produced by Sketch the Cataclysm, Untitled is Hard Enough
is a brief foray into what continues to be the overshadowed and under
compensated world of underground hip-hop. Of note here is the variety
of ways Protege gets over very different beats by Sketch. Cataclysm’s
production ranges from the dark drum step and militant sound of the
EP’s opener, “Provisions,” to the reggae dub sound of “Pressure,” with
relaxed yet eerie hip-hop in between on “Sunshine.” The inclusion of
some jazz and blues sound throughout the tracks keeps the 7 tracks from
sounding generic.
Regardless of the beat, The Protege keeps his delivery flexible,
letting the tracks come to him rather than forcing one style onto
various tracks. His lyrics stay straight ahead, foregoing typical
lyrical stalwarts like money, cars and jewelry for more personal topics
like the pressure to pay bills. The honesty is refreshing, and combined
with the ability to lace together rhymes and wordplays, The Protege
makes his debut solo effort one that leaves you wanting to see what he
can deliver on a full length outing. In one of the strongest tracks on
the EP, “Nothing,”
Cataclysm includes an undulating bass line and funky vocal chorus that
eventually devolves to massive scratching as The Protege spins tongue
twisters about his effort to create work and his subsequent fear of
rejection.
While brief, Untitled is Hard Enough is solid and original.
It doesn’t rely on prevailing Hip-Pop trends, nor does it try to paint
itself as a champion of the underground. Instead, the honesty simply
puts artist and beat out there for the listener with no requirements
other than hearing where he’s coming from. It should certainly be
interesting to see where he goes from here.
Thanks to Dirt E. Dutch for the tip.

Buy at iTunes
Buy at Amazon
Buy at Emusic