College Publisher Test Site

Issue date: 10/1/07 Section: Entertainment

Former DBCC and current UCF student Phoenixx Crow took the local music scene by storm one year ago with his debut release, Something Different, an album of beats solely compiled by the indie rapper himself. The evolution of the young 20 year-old's music is never more apparent than on his second release, Bold Statements, released earlier this summer. On his latest album, Phoenixx handed over the duties of compiling the beats and instead focused on the lyrical aspect of the album and the result is his most polished release yet.

Bold Statements still has that classic Phoenixx Crow sound but a number of tracks on the disc vary in genre from hip-hop to rock with a number of eclectic offerings along the way. Lyrically, Phoenixx takes his listeners on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Arguably the strongest track on the album, "Mad World," is a somber first-hand account of the day the rapper lost his late uncle, a figure that had a major influence on Phoenixx's music career, while a track like "Please Don't Let Me Go" is a romantic dialogue between two young lovers.

The beauty of Phoenixx Crow's music is that it has the ability to strike rap and non-rap fans alike. Fans of Something Different will probably enjoy the more emotional Bold Statements a bit more while new listeners may have a new album to add to their collection. This certainly isn't a knock on Something Different but all great artists evolve and this album is just that much better.

CHECK OUT THE FULL AUDIO INTERVIEW BELOW:

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