Bonshah

A member of L.C.P. in the ’80s and Haltown Projex (a Halifax supergroup that also included Buck 65, Jorun, Shingai and Tallis Newkirk) in the ’90s, Bonshah is a pioneering legend in Halifax. Now residing in Fredericton, NB, Bonshah follows up his East Coast Music Award-nominated Not on the Map from 2001 with The Mighty Masta Don. Bonshah is a veteran with a simple, no-nonsense flow and a keen desire to impart some knowledge with his words. On The Mighty Masta Don, Bonshah does just that over a variety of beats that run the gamut from fist-pumping anthems ("Formatted Vehicle” and "Grand Marnier”) and apocalyptic battle tracks ("Phoenix” and "Can’t Run”) to b-boy jazz ("All Sum” and "The Good Fight”) and tribal dance ("T.H.O.T.H”), touching upon a few of the more stereotypical hip-hop styles along the way. Still, Bonshah is on point throughout and the guest appearances by Caramel Goddess, Monark, Miracle, Mickey D., Jed Nice and Illogic are nice for an occasional change of voice. At only 12 tracks, The Mighty Masta Don is a short album that never overstays its welcome; it is rightfully another East Coast classic even if it does end getting overlooked. (Dead Beats)