Today, I'm going to be reviewing the new mixtape by New York underground Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire, which is titled Kismet. This guy pretty much personifies what New York hip hop is all about. He is dirty, grimy, and very raunchy. I always love Exquire when he is featured on something, but have never listened to a full project from him. I know this tape came out a few months ago, but I have been meaning to review it and now I have finally listened to it. Will Exquire deliver with this new mixtape?
The first track is called The Cauldron, and this had an incredibly interesting beat. It was very dark and atmospheric, but was balanced out by these high pitched, electronic synth sounds. It was awesome and set a dark, chilling vibe for the tape. Exquire comes in with some pretty personal lyrics which were also introspective. He sounds emotional and his flow is very smooth as well. This track didn't even have a hook; it was just Exquire spitting one memorable line after another for the whole song. It was a strong intro and really set the tone. Noble Drew Ali was the next song, and this beat was just stellar. It was unique and mixed so many different sounds together to make something awesome. Exquire brings more personality here and some really entertaining lyrics. The lyricism was definitely the standout of this song, as I loved his lines here. This song really had no weaknesses. The next song is titled I Was Drunk When I Wrote This, and it comes in with a very catchy hook that definitely got stuck in my head. The beat was once again very atmospheric and airy, but had some strong drums in there. I didn't enjoy Exquire's rapping as much on this, as he didn't sound as focused. This was still a fun, catchy song though. After a short interlude, the song Cherry Raindrops comes in, and this was a personal track about a relationship. Exquire goes into the topic with lots of interesting and memorable lyrics. Exquire sounds really passionate on this song, and you know he put a lot into it. This song undergoes an epic beat change midway through, as the song becomes more dark and abrasive, and it seems like Exquire mindstate about the girl has totally changed on this half of the song. His lyricism was still there, and he flows nicely over the beat. This song was very, very good and definitely a standout.
The end of Cherry Raindrops transitions right into the next track, Vanilla Rainbows, which comes in with a funky, old school beat that sounded great. Exquire flows perfectly over the beat, which just develops as the track goes along. By the end of the song, this beat sounds incredibly smooth. This song ran a little short, but was still memorable for how unique the beat was. Things get a lot darker on the next track, Illest Ni**az Breathin. This hook was just so infectious. It was simple, but worked perfectly over this hard hitting trap instrumental. Goldie Glo's verse was very understated, but so much so that he sounded a little weak. I wasn't feeling his verse that much. Exquire comes in and steals the show, though. He delivers an awesome verse with some of my favorite lines of the whole mixtape. His flow was extremely on point as well. The next track, Chains, had an interesting idea, and its strongest asset is the lyricism. I wasn't feeling the beat that much, though. I definitely like Exquire more over dark beats rather then smooth, upbeat ones like this. Heron had the second verse here, and he had some good lines, but not much else. This song just didn't hit as hard as the others on this mixtape. The next song is called Hoes I Don't Remember. Exquire definitely delivers lyrics about the title of the song. He was extremely entertaining here, and the beat was great, as it was very relaxing but became more energetic during the hook. It was a perfect balance. I loved Exquire on this song, especially in the end when he just starting naming off, literally the hoes he doesn't remember. This song was just so memorable and Exquire was amazing on it.
The next song is a monster posse cut titled Tomorrow's Gone. This song features Danny Brown, Nacho Picasso, and Flatbush Zombies. This beat was just fantastic. It was extremely sinister and dark, and perfectly tailored for Exquire. He came in and delivered a sick verse. He had so many quotables in this verse and his flow as perfect on it. Danny Brown then came in and killed it with his eccentric delivery and rapid-fire flow. He also had some hilarious lines in his verse. After Danny's fast verse, Nacho Picasso comes in with a very slow flow that works extremely well on the song. You get to hear all his awesome lines here. He also has a very cool voice, and he just sounded terrific. Flatbush Zombies killed it as well, as Meech, Erick, and Juice all bring their own flavor into the song with some hard-hitting, short verses. This song was awesome, and I have no complaints about it. It might be one of the best posse cuts I've ever heard. The next song Orbz, was much slower and relaxed. Exquire used a more eccentric, weird delivery here, and it sounded great. He is definitely a creative rapper, and you can tell just by the way he says the words on this song. Exquire flowed over a beautiful, airy instrumental. The next song was a one-minute song called Never Running Again. This track was fantastic, and I really wish it was long. This was one of the best beats on the album and he rapped with serious skills here. He sounded passionate and his lyrics hit so hard here. This song had no flaws besides its length. The final song on this mixtape is called Paper Hearts, and this came in as a huge change of pace from the rest of the tape. The production was soulful, happy, and upbeat. This beat was just created so perfectly, as the soul sample and booming drums were mixed flawlessly. It is seriously one of the best beats I've heard in a while. Exquire flows a lot faster over this, and he sounds amazing. His flow was pretty much perfect and he also had some seriously personal lyrics. This song gets even better with the sick beat change in the middle. The hook here was also seriously catchy, and it had a positive message. This mixtape couldn't have closed out any better.
KISMET WRAP UP
+Exquire somehow combines grimy, street rap with intelligent, smart rap
+He is an amazing lyricist
+He is definitely one of the most creative rappers out right now
+Stellar production, very atmospheric and smooth
+Some terrific song ideas
+Great hooks and song structure
Best- Noble Drew Ali, Tomorrow's Gone, Paper Hearts
Worst- Chains
Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire- Kismet
9.6/10
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