Archetype, noun

1. An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype: “‘Frankenstein’, ‘Dracula’, and ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ are the archetypes that have influenced all subsequent horror stories” (New York Times).
2. An ideal example of a type; quintessence: an archetype of the successful entrepreneur.
3. In Jungian psychology, an inherited pattern of thought or symbolic imagery derived from the past collective experience and present in the individual unconscious.

That is the definition of the word ‘archetype’ provided by www.dictionary.reference.com. When it came time for Tonedeff to finally release his long-awaited debut album, no other word seemed to be an exact fit for the title.

The tongue-twisting Latin rapper first made his big break when he moved to Queens, NY at the age of 21. It was there that he would win a number of battles as well as open shows for Common, Royce Da 5'9, Rahzel, and others. In 2000, he formed the independent record label QN5 Music and began producing a string of releases, including two solo EPs and a record with his group Extended F@mm as well as a 12” single with the legendary KRS-One. Now, five years later, Tonedeff finally releases his debut album, “Archetype”. I first heard Tonedeff in 2002 on the previously mentioned track “Clear ‘Em Out”, which featured KRS-One. The main reason I downloaded the track was to hear Kris’ response to Nelly, who supposedly dissed him on “#1” (“You tired of me saying what’s real Hip-Hop? / well, I’m tired of you biting my shit to go pop”) but when I heard Tonedeff I was surprised to find out how ill he was, even outshining the Teacher himself. But I didn’t think anything else of him until someone let me listen to a track off of his Underscore EP called “Hypocrite”. In the song, he and another rapper named Deacon the Villain criticized the underground Hip-Hop scene, which was (at that point) something I’ve never heard any rapper do, not to mention this guy was underground himself. I then asked the person if I could borrow the EP and after hearing the rest of it, I promised myself to get his solo album once it came out. After hearing the album’s first single, I knew it was going to be good. When the album dropped and heard so many people start calling it a classic, saying that the album indeed lived up to the title, I knew I HAD to check it out. Is the album really as good as others say it is?

1. Overture (NOT RATED)
2. Archetype (5 Stars)
3. Masochist (5 Stars)
4. Let’s Go (5 Stars)
5. Disappointed (5 Stars)
6. Loyal (5 Stars)
7. Porcelain (5 Stars)
8. Issawn (5 Stars)
9. Quotables feat. Extended F@mm, Wordsworth, Rise, and Supastition (5 Stars)
10. Politics (5 Stars)
11. Pervert (5 Stars)
12. Heavyweight (5 Stars)
13. Children feat. Anetra (5 Stars)
14. Case Closed (5 Stars)
15. Gathered (5 Stars)

The album opens with the instrumental intro “Overture”, which features a haunting piano melody and some vocalization. It might seem worth skipping to some, but it’ll be the first thing that grabs your attention, leading into the album’s title track, “Archetype”. On this one, Tone introduces himself as the archetype, and gives the assumption that the album will be creative and genre free. Of course, Tone is on point lyrically, wrecking the microphone with his killer flow and lyrics. At one point, he speaks on all the abilities in his musical repertoire, which include emceeing, singing, and playing the piano, all which are expressed on this album. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear someone to break away from the two categories that dominate Hip-Hop today, finally stating that in the end, there’s only music: “The preconceived notions get shattered / fuck mainstream and underground, is the shit any good is what matters / why categorize? There's wack and there's nice so I put all that to the side / and reset the standard for any cat that just asks for a mic”. If this album truly is the Archetype it’s claming to be, this is the perfect way to kick it off. The feeling on this one is carried on through tracks like “Masochist” and “Politics”. On the former, Tone paints a picture of himself as a masochist, speaking on the pain that Hip-Hop has given him but talks about how he just can’t quit because he loves it so much. The production is the focal point of this one; the piano is just as insane as it is entrancing, showing Tone CAN play the piano. But the writing is not to be ignored either; lyrically, Tone is absolutely perfect, staying on topic while keeping you entranced. The latter is the album’s first single, which features Tone speaking about the industry and the bullshit that comes with it over a dark synthesizer beat. The last lines of the second verse sum up the industry PERFECTLY: “The same reason you can't stand that verse you heard / is the same reason you know it word for word - dog, it's politics”.

The statement about mainstream and underground in the first paragraph is true in Tone’s mind, as he drops a couple of mainstream-type tracks on this album. Backed by a drum line percussionist, “Let’s Go” is fit for the clubs but it still has that underground flavor and has Tone flexing his amazing lyrical abilities, giving us clever lines like “if that’s your milkshake, I’m lactose intolerant”. “Issawn” is another nice mainstream-type track with Tone giving us some nice lyrical content and a bridge that sounds like it could be on a Lil’ Jon song: “Just tear … this … bitch … down / tear the bitch down right now, come on!” Tone gives himself lots of time to show his lyrical abilities on this album, with battle tracks like “Heavyweight” and “Cased Closed", flexing his trademark triple cadence flow but still kicking jaw-dropping lines. But without the best battle track is “Quotables”, a posse cut which features fellow members of Extended F@mm PackFM, Session, and Substantial, as well as three more underground lyrical monsters Wordsworth, Rise, and Supastition. The beat could be a little better but each member drops line after line of illness, showing us WHY this track is titled “Quotables”: Substantial: “You ain't ready to see me lose it, like your daughter's virginity” Wordsworth: “If you said something doper, I'd probably quote ya / but nothing sticks, like putting the opposite sides of magnets closer” PackFM: “You couldn’t get burned if Satan gave you rotation on his station” Session: “I can't be seen; I'll be a Dalmatian and still won't be spotted” Supastition: “I'm smacking ya, cause you ain't really said nothing spectacular / 'Yo! You heard what he said?' - NOPE! I just remember how wack it was” Rise: “It looks and sounds like what you're spitting is hard / special effects make you tougher like the Wizard of Oz” and finally, Tonedeff: “I leave more mixed messages than Tony Hawk's dentist when telling him ‘Please don’t grind!’”

Tonedeff is known for his songs about women and sex, like “Shag!” which was left off the “Austin Powers: Goldmember” soundtrack. Well Tone drops two tracks on this album about it. The first one is “Disappointed”, which has Tone talking about not being able to get any and women leaving him disappointed. The beat is dope and the track is very-well written with some hilarious but clever lyrics like “I’m the type of Martha Focker to ditch a bitch the day before I ‘Meet the Parents’”. The second of the two, “Pervert” is better of the two and way catchier. The beat is dope as hell with a violin loop and some calypso-type carnival samples. Tone sings the first verse and flips his mile-a-minute flow for the second and gives us a sung chorus which is catchy - as – fuck. This track is just as hilarious as the other and is actually one of the best tracks on the album. But don’t get me wrong, Tone can give us some meaningful tracks too, check out “Children” for that. Over a violin-sampling beat, Tone tells the kids to follow their own paths instead of following someone else. He also warns against going down the wrong path as a kid, leading to living a horrible life as an adult. “Call me a saint to warn you, see that bitch that thinks she's the shit / at 15 with the heaving tits, the type kids would just fiend to get / will end up pregnant before she hits community college / broke and soon to be jobless, abused by the dude she gets hot with”.

Other meaningful tracks on this album include “Loyal” and the much talked about “Porcelain”. While they are slightly similar, they are both VERY different. The former features a signature saddening Kno beat where Tonedeff works perfectly over the speedup vocals. Tonedeff speaks on the well-covered subject of disloyalty from friends, beautifully articulating how it feels to be betrayed over the depressing beat. The latter is the most talked about track on the album, which is totally understandable. It’s definitely the one of the best songs on the album, as Tonedeff discusses heartbreak over a beautiful piano-based beat. He tells the true story of a girl he fell in love with in the 7th grade who never noticed him. As time went on, his lovesickness only got worse and by the time seven years had passed, he broke his own heart by telling her how he felt. I really can’t describe how beautiful this track on its own actually is. While most I know have said this is the best track on the album, I’d have to disagree and say that the closer “Gathered” is the best track on the album. Ironically, the best track on a rap album is the one where he doesn’t rap at all. The entire track flexes Tone’s abilities as a singer and pianist, as he speaks on his long career and how he’s ‘walking on the line’. At one point, he contemplates whether or not he should just stop: “What you gonna do when no one's / there to hear your song? / And if so, how long until you / think you should move on?”. In the end, Tone says that now that his fans support him and that he’s gathered himself, he’s not afraid of what will happen to him anymore. You’d have to listen to see how good this track is, and though I know many will disagree, it is just as good as “Porcelain” if not better.

The question you might be asking now is “Is there anything on this album NOT worth praising?” Well … honestly no. This album is damn near perfect. Some people will be saying I’m overrating it but believe me when I say this is the best album I have heard this year so far. Tonedeff is a unique talent and I give him props for not ‘selling out’ since the politics behind the curtain have kept this album in production for 5 years. Take a look at tracks like “Porcelain” and “Gathered” and you can see this is what happens when you create music from your heart and soul. This is what I like to see, a true artist taking time with his canvas to paints a beautiful masterpiece, not giving a damn about what critics think. Tonedeff has everything that the practical emcee need: a rapid, precise delivery, a commanding voice that it sounds like an infomercial voice-over (check the IDA skit on Masta Ace’s album), and some hilarious but heartfelt wordplay. Tonedeff give us an album that both commercial fans AND underground fans can feel which is something that many artists try to do (and mostly fail). This is what Hip-Hop is supposed to be, not that crap that controls the radio airwaves. I’mma stop rambling and get down to the point: “Archetype” is an outstanding album on point in mostly every aspect, and with a bonus DVD including interviews with various producers and emcees, this album is a buy worthy of your cash.

FINAL RATING: 5 Stars

Recommended: Yes