Mood - Doom
While Hi-Tek releases a new, overrated solo record, it's important to remember just how good this producer used to be. The Cincinnati-based producer made about half the beats on this local group's debut full length, including the excellent single, "Karma." The record also features Talib Kweli in an early appearance on four songs, and he shows his promise well, even if his voice is somewhat underdeveloped. This is dark underground hip hop, with abstract beats and hard-hitting lyrics. Along with Reflection Eternal, this is how Hi-Tek should be remembered, long after his inexplicably forgettable recent beats pass into the abyss.