Classified

Classified has consistently worked hard to get his music out to an ever widening audience, and his latest is the next step in the process. Union Dues is a well-polished creation that should be widely available across Canada. The sound is crisper and cleaner, with a greatly improved flow from Class. The proof that Class is building a rep outside of Halifax is an appearance by Toronto MCs D-Sisive and Dan-e-o, on the Atari-influenced sounds of "Yuh Ded Now," one of the albums better songs. Ground Squad demonstrate their skills at posse cuts with "No Breaks," and Trobiz and Kaspa drop by for "Darwin's Theory," two other natural selections. But, all is not perfect with Union Dues. Class's usual use of stock drum sounds tends to prevent the beats from acquiring a life of their own, even though the choice of accompanying samples might be great. Two of the best beats on the album come from other sources: "Darwin's Theory," from Trobiz, and "It's Like This," from Dubble J; the only two tracks not produced by Classified. Of the other two good beats, "Yuh Ded Now" was probably chosen under critical Toronto eyes, and "Talking Sh*t" pulls off a harder, darker sound that is the best production I've heard from Class. Union Dues stands as Classified's finest album so far, and that's after three cassettes, three CDs, and a twelve-inch, all independently released. Classified constantly demonstrates the age old adage, "I'm off the wall but you still ain't hear my best work," as heard on his Union Dues track "Crossing Lines."