Divo

Divo could be a contender, but first he needs to scrap the hip-hop clichés: numerous R&B hooks, cries for street credibility, and an overabundance of guests. The last might not be Divo’s fault, since the number of guests was apparently a point of contention between himself and primary producer Dubble J. On the other hand, Divo has raps and can flow, shining when he gets on the right beat, such as the clubby, reggae-inflected "Take Me Home” with Sumeet and Andrew Ranxx, or the hype, anthemic "How We Do” with Titus. "Love of the Block,” "Mind Full of Troubles,” "Only One” and "Move Remix” also stand out, but generally the beats are generic. At least Divo isn’t afraid to express himself on plenty of songs about love and loss, including "Crash,” a relatively preachy but welcome song about drinking and driving. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get a real feel for Divo with so many guest appearances, including a number of high profile coups — Eternia, Tara Chase, D-Sisive, DL Incognito, Bishop and Brassmunk’s MayOne 9. It’ll be interesting to see what he pulls together with total control for his next album.