While unknown to most, Pumpkinhead has actually been around for a minute now. Like many independant acts, Brooklyn’s Robert Diaz got his start on Stretch and Bobbito’s radio show in 1998. He made some noise with his first 12″ “Dynamic” and kept his momentum with “Wack MC’s.” Pumpkinhead rode the success of these singles to releasing his debut LP “The Old Testament.” Despite receiving critical acclaim for the album and making appearances on the Lyricist Louge tour, Pump stepped away from the game shortly after.
A return was imminent though and 2003 marked the occasion. Looking to reintroduce himself to hip-hop heads worldwide, Pumpkinhead has hit us with a tightly-packaged EP. “A Beautiful Mind” is 7 tracks deep and each song is essentially a different theme, set to display Pumpkinhead’s versatility. The album comes out of the gate with the shit-talking inspired “Blacklisted,” which features some nice production from DJ Eli. “Pumpin (Pause)” is on the battle tip as well but comes with a bouncy synth beat that gives it a totally different feel. Pump begins to shine by the third track, showing his sense of humor in a story that everyone can relate to; dick head bouncers are put on blast in “Supahstar.” Pump takes the autobiography route on the moody “The Beginning” and pays homage to his neighborhood on “Park Slope.” If the beat from the latter sounds familiar that is because Jay-Z flipped it (“It’s Like That”) and so did Cormega (“Fallen Soldiers”). The album closes out with dedications to his woman (“Mujer Triste”) and his crew (“Brooklyn Academy”).
As you could have probably guessed, Pumpkinhead isn’t exactly breaking new ground when it comes to subject matter. Nevertheless, “A Beautiful Mind” is a good listen. It provides about a good a look at Pumpkinhead as possible in 30 minutes and serves the purpose of an EP perfectly. This EP is just a taste for his upcoming sophomore LP, “The New Testament.”
5.5/10
