Insight is the epitome of an artist, he is an emcee, a producer, a DJ, a painter, he does animation and web design. Shit, he even engineers and records his own shit. They say a jack of all trades is a master of none. After one listen to “The Blast Radius” it is very evident that Insight did not hear that maxim. To say that this Boston representative crafts his music precisely would be an understatement.
Over the course of fourteen tracks (plus one bonus cut), you will probably be at a loss for putting a finger one what exactly Insight does that is different from the next man. The albums sounds different from anything else out there, but not because it is “out there” on some Anticon vibe. Insight just makes really dense music. The production, the rhymes, they are just packed in, sealed, and air tight. Over heavily layered, dynamic beats, rich with jazzy horn and neck snapping drums, Insight delivers his content packed rhymes with a fury. None is a finer example than his magnum opus “Evolve.” That isn’t the only megaton bomb though, as other standouts such as “Time Frame,” “Lots of Facts About Control,” “Bother Me,” and that ol’ boom bap “Hazardous Material” are sure to demand frequent listens. That is a lot of standouts huh? I could go on, trust me, this album is that good.
I must also mention Sight’s “Seventeen MC’s” for his nice impersonations of everyone from Big L to Canibus. “The Blast Radius” is among the finest albums of 2004, be sure to absorb the impact of this bomb. It is time that Insight gets the respect and recognition he deserves on the indy scene.
8/10
