Though it barely registered a blip on the radar,
Mr. Dead's first LP, M-Virus (released under the name Metabolics with MC Big Pat), delivered a potent dose of raw, underground N.Y.C. hip-hop. Undeterred,
Mr. Dead enlisted some of alt-rap's finest producers, including
Prince Paul, Dan the Automator, and
Scotty Hard, to create a deep, dark manifesto that rages against the trappings of mainstream hip-hop. Songs like "End of Days" and "Longevity" are fierce lyrical throwdowns that show off lethal mic skills while taking a strong philosophical stand, while the
Prince Paul-produced title track is a less serious old-school throwback that injects a welcome sense of lightheartedness into the proceedings. It may pose no threat to Eminem or Jay-Z for pop chart dominance, but with solid contributions from left-of-center MCs like Paul Barman, Sensational, and newcomer Herc Boogie, Dawn of the Dead should be popular with the underground set. ~ Bret Love