Masia One

Having long built a reputation for great ambition through her various M1 Academy exploits, T-dot lyricist Masia One channels that same unchecked determination into her two-disc sophomore set Pulau, the expansive culmination of two years of enviable globetrotting. The record is broken down roughly along stylistic lines, with the first chapter’s "Montreal In The Fall” theme seeing the reflective MC’s malleable flow ride atop a host of reserved beats that act more as a passable cushion for Masia’s rhymes than sonic compositions looking to make their own statement. Exceptions come with the tropical Latin production of "Escovido” and carry on into the far more adventurous rhythms of the set’s "Island” disc. From the sweet, Asian-meets-reggae tones of title cut "Pulau” through the tamed electro backbeat of "Return Of The Bgirl” and onto the dank dub of "Empress Gone” it’s clear that Masia’s solid musical ideas may have been better served by more stringent editing and focused concepts.