FEMAPCO Suck My Mic
By KRYSTINA GRANDMOND
Staff Writer

I was given this CD by an old friend years ago, during the first launch of Soundline, as a potential artist to review. Things went downhill before I could get to it, though, and it made its way into storage with the rest of the Soundline material.

A few years later saw me sitting in a living room with a new acquaintance, talking about local music, when she decided to plug her brother, Femapco. I surprised her by showing up the next day with the disc that is now spinning in my player.

Dug out and dusted off, Femapco's "Suck My Mic" is his 2004 release through his own label Tetrahedra Records. It may not be an accurate display of his current talent (he's had five years to perfect his gift), but it IS a display of talent at the very least.

The opening track is a brief intro that allows you to get to know the man you're about to spend the next little while with. As the songs spin, his words flow, telling about grief, anger, love lost and spoiled relationships.

"Burn Your Problems" is a song about social issues that we all face on a daily basis.

"Abortion - war - murder - suicide - death rate - politics - hunger - disease - porno - clepto - liar - depression ... "

It relays the well-known message of "it could be worse". There are people in the world who have less, quit your whining. Shit happens, it's not the end of the world. Let it slide and quit focusing on the negative. There's so much more to live for. Just let it go.

"... put it all up in your pipe and then you burn another session."

A deep track with a lot of meaning. It hits home when you really think about things.

"Crossin" is a song that features a female vocalist, Too Lip. A lady with a diva-like voice, it provides the solemn background to the song, in which Femapco rhymes about people going at it alone, not knowing who is on their side, and being forced to find a way on their own.

"Goodbye D" is a song that strikes a personal chord with me. Going off about a friendship gone sour, Femapco disses an ex-best friend who crossed him the wrong way. It's a much-needed lesson in karma for some. You made your bed ... What goes around ...

Throughout the cd, Femapco shows diversity, rhyming slow, then picking it up to speeds that are almost non-understandable. Rising and falling with the moods, accurately displaying excitement, anger, rage and calm through his lyrics and beats. And never once tripping over his words. He's smooth and confident, qualities that enable him to get his point across, all the while giving you the impression that he's been doing this his entire life.

If you're a fan of Eminem (I'm sure that Femapco is quite used to eing compared to him) then I'm positive you will find something on this CD that you will love.

There is a new album anticipated for release in early 2010, so be sure to get in on that! I know my curiousity is peaked and I will be awaiting the arrival of the new material.

"This only the intro, it's only the begining ..."