GM Baby

GM Baby are a group that can be pigeonholed easily into the ‘political’ slot that so many conscious underground hip hop acts get lumped into. It follows from this that on this basis, GM Baby’s “Pain of Life” EP is open to lazy comparison with a wide range of great acts, and it’s here they fall down.

They start off with the title track and their best effort, and it lays down a formula for the majority of the EP that they follow slavishly - funky synthesised beats that don’t quite get your whole body moving but will make your head nod, and crisp electro style drums that punctuate the rhymes nicely. Only the fourth and final track, featuring Super Nova, diverges from this with a very minimal, chilled beat that adds an atmospheric feel with the use of African drums.

The rapping is ably provided by Umchucka Willy and OCD, and there is talent there. The flow and tone are calm, and the message is clear, but the lyrics they spit don’t quite match up with the timbre. The lyrics are very politically and socially charged and would benefit from a more hyped up rapping style. Another problem is that this has all been heard before, and not so simply. This makes what they try to get across easy to understand, but could well be a negative point for those looking for lyrical dexterity. And with it all being stated by other acts previously, GM Baby don’t really add anything to the fight beyond yet another voice in the crowd, but that in itself is something the group would want at the very least.

They also have an extra vocalist in Roxy, who provides vocals for the chorus on three of the tracks. She has a soft voixce that works particularly well on the last track, adding to the atmospheric beat, but on “Pussycat” her singing appears quite flat. Where she works best however, is on the third track where she provides backing vocals for the chorus, contrasting nicely with the gruff vocals telling us that “L.O.V.E. is the last resort.”

Overall, it’s a worthwhile effort but there are other acts out there that will deservedly demand your attention first, but don’t let that stop you from at least checking what GM Baby have to say.

http://www.ukhh.com/reviews/ep/1591.html