Delaware producer/rapper SAP is cool, crucial and 'Self Employed' in debut LP
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By Alex Dionisio
For Delaware producer/emcee SAP in his debut studio album Self Employed (March 4, The Pioneer Crew), the proof that he is an artist with integrity is in the pudding. Some artists have a hard work ethic yet no good results but SAP has both. Standing for "Sound of A Pioneer," SAP has been fizzing nicely behind the scenes working with giants in the game like Freeway, The Game, Mac Miller, Meek Mill, Tyga, Schoolboy Q and Chris Webby, who he collaborated with last year for the Jamo Neat LP. With a few solid mixtapes on his record plus an obviously very important production discography, SAP takes his abilities a step further in Self Employed serving up cool conventional beats, spitting respectable true school lyricism and providing a stage for some significant guest power.
When SAP raps in this project with his wonderful attention-keeping backpack rhyme-wordplay, some of his favorite themes include working hard, focus, skills, career arrival and celebration, but he also reveals some socially conscious truisms and some interesting opinions of his. He mentions how blacks can't get to the top without having their accomplishments questioned in "Don't Call Me," quickly touches on men who hit women in "Boom Bap," and expresses how he doesn't want to have kids right now in "And I Mean Dat." SAP is open and refreshingly personal, and in this age of hip-hop when sloppily delivered lyrics by some artists are getting too much popularity, he acts as a steward for the art, fighting like a trooper for the right principles in the music.
Self Employed is an excellent hip-hop album where SAP displays his greatness and suave stylings by way of finely written and rapped rhyme lines with beats of cleanly chopped and filtered samples inspired by the post golden era East Coast sound. All the songs have unique character, just like the guests: Tdot ILL Dude, Hit-Boy (another beat-maker/rapper), Mike Zombie, Hodgy Beats of MellowHype, Mac Miller, Devin Cruise, former Shady Recorder Stat Quo, Shizz Nitty, Compton legend The Game, Chris Webby and Jitta. SAP plays the double hip-hop role here (music director slash main vocalist) with grace and proves that he is no sap but the proven artist S-A-P who can both rap and make beats with incredible aplomb. Self Employed is not revolutionary, but it's original, well constructed, loyal to the culture and very substantial lyrically.
