Why Khaliq – Speaking My Mind [Review]
Minnesota is a breeding ground for rappers nowadays. The northern state has brought us such artists as Rocky Diamonds, Kid Magic, TRYBISHOP, ThatGuySoda, Tomorrow Genius and more. Just when you think that every ounce of talent has been squeezed out of the Twin Cities, another MC steps forth from St. Paul.
Although Why Khaliq may be a newcomer, he comes across confident and poised in his debut mixtape, _Speaking My Mind_. The tape is hosted by DJ Advance. Khaliq spits with a controlled yet precise flow on a great selection of instrumentals throughout the project. _Speaking My Mind_ has a great variation of types of songs. From midtempo hip-hop records and trap records to slower tracks, there’s something here for everyone.
Some of my favorite songs on the mixtape are the ones where Khaliq slows it down and spits with a swagger that can’t help but bring up comparisons to Drake. Originality isn’t a problem for the 18 year-old, though. Tracks like “Overdose (High)”, “Selfish” and “The Usual” are where Why Khaliq really shines with a refreshing glimmer of passion. You can tell that a lot of intricate time and effort went into the creation of this project.
Bottom line: Don’t take it lightly when I say that this is one of the must-have mixtapes of 2012. Why Khaliq stands strong in a crowd of many aspiring artists from MN. This is one of the strongest debut projects that I have heard in a long time. I’m excited to see how Why Khaliq will follow this up in the future.
_Speaking My Mind_ is available for free streaming/downloading on DatPiff now. http://dlvr.it/2PtbZp
