New York emcee LIFEOFTHOM enlisting seasoned talent manager, producer, DJ, songwriter, audio engineer & record executive Plain Pat to produce his debut mixtape. Introducing himself off his first couple EPs Thomas & Robot Jesus, he would go on to release 3 more in Floor 11 as well as Room 44 & Cocotaso respectively. However, the singles that we got teasing Driving Blind & learning that the former KIDS SEE GHOSTS manager was solely handling all of the production.
“Wasted” was a passionate choice of an opener talking about risking it all for a plate & wanting a lot of stacks whereas the highlight “42nd St.” featuring Lørd Skø takes a jazzier yet soulful approach instrumentally representing the uptown. “Hands” featuring Wiki proves to be another favorite collaboration of the 4 working in more sampling stripping the drums to talk about being the boss type while “Overthinking” tackles the theme of analysis paralysis.
Meanwhile on “Hittas”, we have THOM over a soulfully cloudy beat talking about the lesson that every journey has to have the kind of people who’ll stick knives in our backs just before “Night” hooks up a drumless guitar so he can get married to the game. “Cadillac” featuring jev. & Wiseboy Jeremy pairs the trio for a funky ode to luxury vehicle division of the General Motors Company while “Jeep” takes a more cavernous approach to the beat talking about his obnoxiousness.
“G.T.F.O. (Get the Fuck Out)” starts the final leg of the tape by addressing the people who want to see him out of bounds while “Lost in Vegas” featuring Swavay talking about being the type to snatch phones & log into finstas. “XO Tour Life” jumps over a boom bap instrumental with pianos speaking of money always coming his way & “Jumpin’ In” finishes the most important entry of LIFEOFTHOM’s discography leaping up out the edge of his seat for $100.
Reinventing the classic New York sound by blending classic boom bap rhyme schemes together with genre blurring melodies, Plain Pat helps take the meticulously thoughtful pen & use of experimental cadences/flows that’s skyrocketed LIFEOFTHOM’s popularity to a completely different stratosphere with no shade intended towards those early extended plays since they all have their own highlights. Driving Blind’s refreshing production is unlike any of Thomas’ earlier work & firmly stands behind the homie Lørd Skø in helping pave a bright future for east coast lyricists.
Score: 9/10