Busdriver

L.A.'s Project Blowed "collective" has always been about showcasing unique flows, exemplified in the styles of its most exposed group, Freestyle Fellowship, with members Aceyalone and Mikah 9 leading the way. But it doesn't end there. Busdriver, a long-time vet of Project Blowed, is a vocal madman; think Das EFX on speed. He flips between spot-on flows that punctuate the beat and high-speed vocal acrobatics. His newest, Temporary Forever, is his best release so far, thanks to producers like Daddy Kev, O.D., and especially newcomer Paris Zax, who contribute crunchy, more polished studio efforts. In fact, this time around Busdriver has created a near perfect album that's difficult to remove from the player. However, while the fast food interlude of "Stylin' Under Pressure" demonstrates Busdriver's knack for freestyles, it becomes boring during repeat listens and a guest verse from Rhetoric on "Somethingness" is mostly stupid but has a strong finish. Like many Blowdians, Busdriver is obsessed with biters, devoting much of the album to the subject. Still, they make for some great songs, including the album highlight "Along Came a Biter," "Suing Sony" and the controversial Anticon diss "The Truth of Spontaneous Human Combustion," featuring Of Mexican Descent. Besides, Busdriver does touch on other topics, like being a father ("Unplanned Parenthood"), violence ("Gun Control") and problems with women ("Single Cell Ego"). In the end, minor problems are unable to prevent Temporary Forever from being a guaranteed classic.