Stik Gilatine and Tha Critic - Streets To The Sky

Stik Gilatine & Tha Critic - Streets To The Sky

The San Jose rap scene keeps pushin a hard line with this all freestyle album from Stik Gilatine and Tha Critic. Last year two of my favorite rap albums where The Enimegos cd and The Fly Guy from Stik Gilatine, both had great production and excellent rapping.

To me its always nice to see what rappers can do off the top of there dome, its a part of the hiphop culture and I wish more rappers would drop a freestyle mixtape or album once every few years.

My Click and Who's That are my favorite songs out of the first hand full as Stik Gilatine, Trey C and Th Critic show us there raw and uncut talent at this freestyle shit. No big name features, no gimicks, just straight freestyles for that ass.

Tha Critic is more on the gangster/d-boy side of things, while Stik Gilatine is more on a hiphop tip to me, but with both these dudes together its the best of both worlds. Both compliment each others style perfectly and are enjoyable to listen to.

Still Here is another slappin track that has Critic stealing the show with his street tales and confident flow. Stik Gilatine doesnt dissapoint either as he rocks a slick flow and his usual quotable raps.

From The Ground Up is another highlight as Stik delivers the goods lyrically and will have you swearing up and down that this was written, his freestyles are that good.

Blaze A 50 is straight heat as Critic, Stik Gilatine and 2 Left Feet destroy that Nas beat from a few years back. I remember having this Nas single on record years back and it was a favorite for freestyles or just mixing an accapella with, dope to hear it on here with these San Jose monsters rippin it up.

So Gone is one of the few tracks I wasnt feeling, but thats a small set back in an overall excellent freestyle project.

Streets To The Sky is another heater as Stik Gilatine steals the show with more consistant freestyles without messing up at all. 2 Left Feet also rocks his best freestyle on this as well.

Im A Ride is definatly the type of production that Critic shines on to me, as he drops some dope lines with confidence for days.

Do Your Thang has Playa Rae showing that hes still at the top of his game with his spits and will have you anticipating another solo from the San Jose vet. Super ill track with a dope hook, cant ask for much more.

Close is another blap that I had on repeat for awhile. I've always enjoyed this chill relaxing beat and Critic does the production justice as he spits a short, but fantastic verse.

In Love Wit A Rida is addicting as hell and a song ill be bumpin for awhile, dope beat, sick hook and top notch rapping. I cant recognize this beat and I know there is one original beat on this album so my guess is that this is the one, straight heater from start to finish.

My Life is on the storytelling side of things and shows the diversity of this mixtape as a whole.

Step it up has Playa Rae sliding by to lay a hand and some raps with Stik and Critic and once again does a great job. Is it just me or do these three have alot of charizma together on tracks?

Overall this is a very good project from Monstaville and 408inc, its nice that some rappers can still spit off the top with freestyles. Usually when I hear a freestyle album it gets boring half way thru or just isnt very consistant, but this right here from Stik Gilatine and The Critic was very well done. A lot of the freestyles are so well done that they dont even sound like they where
made up on the spot, excellent job from both mcs.

Only thing I would change would be a few of the beats that where picked and if im gonna nit pick then I might as well say having Gangsta Reese up on one or two songs woulda been nice to. I'm usually not a huge fan of freestyle albums but when they are done right like this one and the ones by say Cellski, Baldhead Rick and Mistah Fab they are good stuff.

Do yourself a favor and download this or cop the DVD and hard copy when it drops, the San Jose rap scene is putting out some awesome work people, time to take notice if you havn't yet. If you are still sleeping on Stik Gilatine, then go pick up one of last years best albums, The Fly Guy and check out The Critic killin it on So Sweet on that Enemigos cd.

SCORE = 8/10