Rising Los Angels based Hip Hop artist Lyda just dropped a hot new EP entitled “The North Shore” in 2013. To say the least his music hits hard and is as unique and invigorating as the artist himself. “Above Y’all” is a sensational opener and a great piece overall. I really like the way things kick off here. Immediately after the seething/sonic intro we have this really smooth psychedelic vocal flow and overall sound with some amazing low end grooves and melodic touches. This really bring a special finesse to the song. As the EP moves forward I can hear some D12, Bad Meets Evil, 50 Cent and Obie Tribe meshed into his overall sound. Despite all this Lyda is not so easy to pigeonhole. Another killer track is “Faded too Long.” The chorus is slamming and bold and will make an impact. I get the impression Lyda is a real risk taker with his music. Despite this he stay within the fairway of marketability but is definitely pushing boundaries. These are compliments by the way. The musicianship/sampling/sonic mix follows down the same path offering up much in the way of vocal harmonies, chill effects, sampling and thick loe end frequencies and cyrtsl clear high end clarity. It has a real Eminem vibe to it as well. Notable standout tracks for me are: “Seven Four” “You Should Know” and “Call of the Wild” Other producers that had their hand in the project include Kajmir, LExi Banks, Flawless Tracks and The Sintrack. The whole teaser keeps the same party mood while maintaining a soulful, funky feel. As for Lyda’s vocal flow he delivers emotionally charged performance and reminded me Ca$his on steroids. His high pitch, sexy vocals blend with some great melodies comparable to a drug. In conclusion, this is an EP captures the pure essence of the retro SOCAL sound so many love. It will bring you back memories of classic hip hop but not so distant rap artists al the while “keeping it real.” The North Shore EP is a more up front and truthful than some out there right now. At the end on the day Lyda brings amazing power to get people singing, relating, dancing with a vibe that will sure to get you into a hypnotic sense of the present.
by Erica Carr, edited by J.J. McCall
Review comments: johnmccall964@gmail.com
