Myzery

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Reviews > Album Reviews > Myzery – “Heaven or Hell” Mixtape

Heaven or Hell

Thursday 27th February, 2014 by Xanarki | 0 Comments

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(7 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)

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Half of the family will recognize the name Myzery, and be intrigued that he’s still grinding. The other half will be in disgust and will be quick to disown anything he has to offer. Love or hate, Myzery is essentially an O.G. of the hatchet. Originally releasing his debut album Para La Isla in 1998 on Psychopathic Records, Myzery continued his rap career even after leaving the hatchet; however, the majority of his releases had no heart and soul, as said by the man himself. Although he showed potential with releases such as 4 Faces and Red Eye, the rapper decided to take a hiatus from the game.

Fast forward to 2012, and now we’re looking at his newest release, and first ever mixtape. Heaven or Hell was a long process, and as a dedication to the fans that supported him, it was released for free on his website. A physical copy also exists, but that will be touched upon later.

1. Dead Inside
2. Bori From the Bronx
3. Nanananah (feat. Nitemare and Scyenze)
4. Feel Some Type
5. Trippin’ on E
6. Welcome to My Cranium (feat. Gordo and Fuego Flamez)
7. Biggie, Pac, and Pun
8. Hate on Me
9. Lo Life (feat. Jswish and Scyenze)
10. You & Me
11. I Don’t Care
12. Rollin’ on 24s (feat. Dame Greese and Fuego Flamez and Mundo)
13. It’s My Time
14. Letz Make One Thing Clear (feat. Nitemare)
15. Homicide
16. Spotlight
17. Out for Blood
18. Make It Hot
19. Not Gonna Let You Go
20. Stuck Half Way (physical release)
21. Watch Me Now (physical release)

One notable trait that seemed to be lackluster in previous releases with Myzery was the production. Although he would spit out some lyrically inspiring lines, the backing music would rarely be up to par with Myzery’s talents. It was inconsistent, and was crucial to the outcomes. Now with his label Poor Manz Entertainment and his homies known as the Spanish Side in full force, Heaven or Hell features very solid production mixed in with Myzery’s lyrical wordplay, and other guest appearances.

The opening track is the lead single and first taste of the mixtape that initially emerged, “Dead Inside.” The song almost seems like a spiritual sequel to his earlier hit “If I Ever Die.” Now fueled by the anger of betrayal and misfortunes that has dwelled upon Myzery the past ten years, he expresses his rage quite well. His writing ability is without a doubt one of the more gifted in the industry. As previously mentioned, the production of the beats is finally matched to Myzery’s ability. The piano lead throughout the song gives a very eerie feeling of death, matched alongside the tempo that matches Myzery’s verses perfectly. The chorus is catchy in a sense that Myzery makes his point very clear with a very daunting tone, “Look real deep into my eyes/Oh so dark with red inside/Go ahead read ‘em they won’t lie/Emotionless I’m dead inside.” It’s a great leadoff track and anyone that wondered what happened to Myzery should start with this haymaker song.

Other songs create a different vibe from the rest of the album. Numerous tracks contain a hip-hop party influence, such as “Nanananah,” “Rollin’ on 24s,” “Letz Make One Thing Clear,” and “Spotlight” among others. They don’t sound unique to one another; however, the Spanish Side perfects the style. A thumping beat and an uplifting hook exists in each song, and it’s hard to complain if you prefer this sound.

“Hate on Me” is a notable exception from the rest of the album. A classic guitar tone is present throughout the track, backed by a live band and Myzery’s singing ability. He addresses the people that refuse to give him a chance, and states that he basically can care less about the overworrying masses. This song sounds like it could’ve been a lead single. “I Don’t Care” is also similar in terms of the lyrics, and can be a staple of the album with its funky roots.

The production stays unique in the sense that, except for the party tracks mentioned, they all sound very different. “Feel Some Type” has a catchy keyboard tone that backs up the vocals perfectly, while “Trippin’ on E” has a vibe that matches the drug-related lyrics. “Lo Life” is also unique due to the eerie flow of the production, and the story that accompanies the song, basically elaborating on karma and the wrongdoings of an individual.

“Biggie, Pac, and Pun” is another song that most would be familiar with. Myzery plays a tribute to the three great rap legends. As both an artist and a fan, he refuses to simply copy and paste the style of the icons; rather, he simply pays homage to the rap game’s biggest influences. As he screams out “see you when I get there,” it’s noticeable that Myzery still holds a place for the three in his heart, and this song is without a doubt one of its kind.

The closing track “Not Gonna Let You Go“ is a near-perfect ending to the mixtape. His verses are probably some of the best I’ve ever heard him spit, ever. It’s hard to classify exactly whom he is referring to. The fans that have always supported him? The ones from above who watch down on him? Maybe he’s simply referring to himself, promising to everyone that he won’t let himself go down the point of no return. My only complaint is the hook. It sounds, in my opinion, very annoying. I don’t like the high-pitched delivery, and it seems very drawn out. In any case, it’s a very noteworthy track that I’m glad made the cut.

Of note is the fact that the mixtape is free to download on Myzery’s official website. But there’s also a physical release of the album that can be purchased on the web store. The pros of the physical release is the addition of 2 new bonus tracks, “Stuck Half Way” and “Watch Me Now.” In addition, some of the songs were slightly remixed, or with verses added in by other members of the Spanish Side, including Fuego Flamez, Gordo, Nitemare, and others. They’re a very tightknit family, and it shows when they accompany Myzery’s style perfectly. It’s a nice addition to the mixtape. Another pro is that the shoutouts and mixtape yells are omitted from the physical release. Although Gordo does a good job at introducing the songs and giving off a mixtape vibe, the songs sound more authentic without his intermissions. The only con to the physical release is that none of the songs segue like what the download version contains. It lightweight kills the vibe of some songs that previously should’ve stayed connected. But then again, maybe the segues, storytelling, and connections will be saved for Myzery’s next proper album, Demon/Angel. In addition, there are various outtakes that didn’t make either albums, and have been released exclusively online such as “Just Me” and “Welcome to My Hell” which are worth checking out.

All in all, this is a huge step forward for the Myzery camp. His lyrical abilities haven’t slowed down one bit, and he finally found producers that match his style perfectly. Now that he has his own label with Poor Manz Entertainment, he will also be able to shine a light on other members of the Spanish Side. A lot of good things are to come for the O.G. and his family. Speaking for the rest of the fans, thank you Myzery for releasing this enormous mixtape for free. It’s appreciated.