Flatbush Zombies- Better Off Dead MIXTAPE REVIEW

Flatbush Zombies are definitely a staple in underground hip hop these days. One of the hottest hip-hop group in the East Coast, I got into them a little while ago. Their 2012 mixtape, titled D.R.U.G.S, really impressed me. These guys have some pretty have some eccentric voices and they can go over some pretty nice beats. Will they improve on the unique formula from D.R.U.G.S. or will their act become boring on this new mixtape?

This mixtape was pretty long, which always leads to mixed results for me. Usually, there is a good amount of filler songs on a project this long, but that doesn't really happen on Better Off Dead. There were a handful of songs on this mixtape that I thought were simply fantastic. The second track, Nephilim, was awesome. The beat hit really hard with the drums and the beat also added a bit of a horrorcore edge. The whole thing sounded sick, with each of the Zombies delivering nice verses. G Tearz was a little different from the rest, as it brought a more upbeat, relaxed instrumental. Still, this song came off sounding very smooth and polished, and I really enjoyed it. The hook was sick, and very catchy. Erick and Juice also had really solid verses. This was where the mixtape really took off for me. Death was such a sick song. The beat was just so dark and sinister. The hook set such an awesome creepy vibe for the track as well. I loved it. Meech takes over Death 2, and has a sick verse there, referencing serial killers and using awesomely gross imagery. Regular and Complex was next, and this one was great. Even though it was less dark, the beat still sounded terrific. I actually really enjoyed Juice's verse here, as he is usually my least favorite member of the group. Once again, the hook is the highlight of the song, as Meech's voice just comes in and grabs the listener, something he does on a few songs here. Erick and Meech also had good verses on this song, and this track was really good.

The latter half of this mixtape also brought some solid songs. Palm Trees was a song that really showed the variety of the project. Unlike pretty much all the others, this song was very low-key and relaxing. The beat was actually beautiful, with a very smooth vocal going throughout the song. All of the Zombies still sounded great, as they slowed down their flow a little bit on the beat. Another great song was MRAZ. This one was also pretty calm, but the verses and hook brought so much energy that it was unlike anything else on the mixtape. Meech's verse was maybe my favorite of his on the mixtape, with plenty of quotables and a great delivery. Meech is undoubtedly the star of this project, as he brings constant energy and uniqueness with everything he does. His voice is just so different from anything I have heard lately that he becomes so interesting to listen to. The song on this tape that only features Meech, called God Blessed the Dead, was another standout. He goes hard over a minimal beat, with some awesome lyricism and a very different vibe. My Team, Supreme was yet another standout on this mixtape. It had a eerie piano beat, which also had a grimy vibe with the heavy drums. Meech and Erick led this one, and they both had great verses. The hook was also quite catchy. I loved this song. Finally, The Results Are In was a terrific closer to the project. It was just a classic Flatbush Zombies song, with all of them rapping a little better than they did on a lot of the other songs here. It hits hard, and like the others, it has a creepy vibe to it that is very unique.

I didn't just love all the songs on Better Off Dead, though. This mixtape was kind of inconsistent. The first song, Amerikkkan Pie, was alright. The beat sounded a little jumbled with too many things going on. While I did like the lyricism on this song, the whole thing didn't come together as good as others. Bliss was another song I felt could've been done better. I loved Meech's hook on this song, as well as Erick's verse, but Juice's verse was not great and Meech's was a good idea, but it was a little overdone. This was still entertaining to listen to, just not a great song. The songs featuring Juice just were not good at all to me. I do not really like Juice that much as a rapper, and he is not even close to the skill of Erick and Meech, in my opinion. Minephuck and Thugnifisence were two of my least favorite songs on this whole project. As far as features go, Club Soda with Action Bronson was a pretty solid song. I really enjoyed the beat, but all the verses on this song were just okay and not as good as others. Even Action Bronson let me down a little. Drug Parade with Danny Brown was an extreme dissapointment, as this song was really bad. The hook went on far too long, and it felt like Meech and Danny Brown were just competing to see who has the weirdest voice. Both of the verses were lackluster.


BETTER OFF DEAD WRAP UP
+Really unique and different, nothing sounds like this right now
+Great variety with the beats
+Awesome horrorcore/dark vibe
+Some very catchy hooks
+Meech steals the show throughout
-Inconsistent
-Too long
-Juice doesn't really impress me at all

Best: Regular and Complex, Death, My Team Supreme

Worst: Thugnifisence

Flatbush Zombies-Better Off Dead
8.2/10