This past week I had the honor and privilege of listening to one of the most refreshing mixtapes I’ve heard out of this great city of Baltimore in quite some time. Rapper Shussh’s recently dropped mixtape “Without Evil Intent” presented by The Standard Music Group is a 10 track project. While to some that may seem like a short track list, the journey he is able to take you on with these songs will definitely not disappoint. I think what I like most about the project, before getting too specific right away, is the fact that it is able to show so much about the artist without him having to write any self-praising or biographical stories. Through his delivery and writing style, not only is his current skill level put on display, but the potential he has to continue on to do great things in the music industry is apparent. Shussh combines both lyrical and vocal talent on several of the songs, which comes out right away in the intro song “Lor Ni**a”, which is able to give listeners a glimpse into the realities that he and lots of other young men in the city grow up dealing with, while at the same time being able to resonate in your head and leave his crooning hook stuck in your head for days on end. Now, I will say that while I did enjoy the full project overall, the main songs that popped out and grabbed my full attention were the intro song , Lor Ni**a, Spotlight, Shaggin, Free New York, and one of my favorites was the track Spaced Out, which isn’t necessarily a drug anthem as it is a vice appreciation song, in that whatever your vice of choice, be it drinking, smoking, etc, it can be done and taken to the next level while listening to this song. The only negative critique I can actually give to the project is that some of the songs are a bit unevenly mixed, which leads to some inconsistency in the volumes which makes some of the songs/hooks a bit grating to listen to, but as far as the songs and the content themselves they still hold up. Another thing I enjoyed about Shussh’s project is that while he has created and is still developing his OWN sound, he still has the presence and delivery that pays homage to his Baltimore roots. This sound combined with the beat selection and his style of song writing style gives “Without Evil Intent” a really dope throwback vibe to the late 90s /early 2000’s where hip-hop was in that awesome phase where the music was trill in message, but still enjoyable to listen to and I think given the current state of the game now, is exactly what’s needed, and I look forward to seeing what he and the rest of his team at the Standard Music Company have in the works.

Listen here.