Many hip hop and rap fans might know about Sketchy Waze and many might not.  For those who might not know his back story, here you go:

Sketchy Waze a.k.a. Lyricidal, born Andy Byrd, has quickly become one of the Northwest’s chief musical exports in the hip-hop game. His rapid-fire rhyme patterns, coupled with catchy melodies, give him an explosive and unique sound that fans of all ages can appreciate.  Sketchy is the most-viewed online rap artist from the state of Idaho. One of his latest videos has gotten over 60,000 views in less than 3 months, and his buzz is only increasing. Sketchy has toured across the west, and has performed for such acts as The Ying Yang Twins, Too Short, KyMani Marley, Cypress Hill, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Warren G, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Glasses Malone, Yukmouth, Cool Nutz, Illmaculate, Brown Boy, Kilo, Andre Nickatina, DJ Unk, Twista, De La Soul, Illmaculate, Sapient, Maino, Haystak, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Hed P.E., Twiztid, Lil Wyte, Potluck, E-40, and many others. He has collaborated in the booth with popular artists such as Spice 1, Rappin’ 4-Tay, Potluck, Kung Fu Vampire, Swizzz, Dizzy Wright, G-Mo Skee, Shizzy Sixx, Whitney Peyton, and Hard Target.  Sketchy Waze started rapping at the age of 10 in 1997. He founded the duo The Pleasantville Killerz, with his friend Jesse Garcia, not long after at the age of 12. However, the twos’ tendency to get into trouble together would prevent them from making any real musical strides until they grew up. Years later in 2007, Sketchy launched MasterMindz Entertainment, and immediately went to work on getting exposure for his long-time duo, who had gotten back in the studio together around the same time.  Sketchy dropped his commercial debut in 2008, and quickly rose through the ranks to become a prominent figure in the Boise rap scene.

In 2011, Sketchy joined forces with film producer Jr Kc, and they began producing videos to go along with Sketchy’s music. It was a perfect combination. Although Sketchy had produced his own music videos up to that point, Jr Kc brought videos with the professionalism and quality needed to make

Sketchy’s music stand out in an increasingly competitive market.  In 2012, Sketchy Waze entered Funk Volume’s 4th Annual ‘Don’t Funk Up Our Beats’ Contest. He was a Top 25 Finalist, which propelled his music into the national and international underground music scene.  Sketchy continues to work around the clock, pursuing his passion of music. He is currently working on a solo project, as well as composing keyboard and lead vocals in his newly-formed alternative hip-hop band, HomeTown Hero.

One thing is certain; Whatever Sketchy Waze does, he will do it to the fullest.

Track listing
1.  They call me Sketchy Waze

2.  Blue Magic

3.  All Night

4.  Come with Me Feat Cryptic Wisdom & The Jokerr

5.  Band Aids Feat Swizzz & Dizzy Wright

6.  Life of a Twenty

7.  Driven

8.  That kind of Girl

9.  Blowing Smoke Feat Potluck

10. So Crazy

11. So Disgusting Feat G-Mo Skee

12. Alphabet Soup

13. In the Bay Feat Spice-1 & Rappin 4-Tay

14. Inside my Room Feat Jesse James & Kung Fu Vampire

15. Melody of Madness Feat Shizzy Sixx

16. Underground Feat Whitney Peyton & Hard Target

17. My Son

18. Overcome

19. Too Long

20. Hole

 

Track by track review and rating

 1.     They call me Sketchy Waze:  Nice beat on this track.  Catchy hook.  The verses flow really well against the beat.  9/10

2.     Blue Magic:  Aggressive beat and a nice piano backing.  The hook is a little too busy which is distracting.  The verses are very well performed.  7/10

3.     All Night:  Very pop sounding track.  This track would work well in a club format, not sure it works after the previous track.  Overall a decent track.  7/10

4.     Come with Me Feat Cryptic Wisdom & The Jokerr:  Another dope beat.  Catchy hook.  Cryptic and Jokerr add so much to the track.  8/10

5.     Band Aids Feat Swizzz & Dizzy Wright:  A much slower beat but very well put together.  A solid track which covers everything from political issues to the music business.  7/10

6.     Life of a Twenty:  The beat is very synthetic and the hook is not as good as some previous hooks on the album.  This is the weakest track thus far on the album.  5/10

7.     Driven:  Another synth beat but it works here.  The verses are well performed but the hook does little for the track.  6/10

8.     That kind of Girl:  Another slow beat that works with the content.  Track is about struggles girls go through and how he supports this girl because she is his world.  7/10

9.     Blowing Smoke Feat Potluck:  Nice beat backing this weed smoking track.  Potluck adds their flavor to the track and it works well.  8/10

10.   So Crazy:  A slow beat backs a quick flow in this track.  Very unique sound that works and is quite mesmerizing.  8/10

11.   So Disgusting Feat G-Mo Skee:  A simple beat backs this track.  The verses flow really well and the hook is quite catchy.  7/10

12.   Alphabet Soup:  A very simple beat.  The lyrics get lost and don’t really pull the listener in.  5/10

13.   In the Bay Feat Spice-1 and Rappin 4-Tay:  A very West Coast feel in this track.  Nice old school feeling to this track.  Spice-1 and Rappin 4-Tay add a lot to this track.  8/10

14.   Inside my Room Feat Jesse James & Kung Fu Vampire:  A cryptic beat with nice piano backing.  The features are ok and add to the value of the track.  Not the typical verse from KFV which was unexpected.  7/10

15.   Melody of Madness Feat Shizzy Sixx:  A slow plodding beat and really long intro on this track.  Great verse structure on the beat.  A decent hook adds good flavor to the track.  8/10

16.   Underground Feat Whitney Peyton & Hard Target:  A simple beat backs this track.  Whitney Peyton does her verse well and Hard Target hits his verse hard.  8/10

17.   My Son:  Tribute track to his son.  A good tribute track but the hook is lackluster.  7/10

18.   Overcome:  A really nice track about the pitfalls of drugs.  As simple beat allows the content to be clearly understood.  This track is a good example of the beat allowing the lyrics to shine.  8/10

19.   Too Long:  A mellower track with a nice beat.  Lyrically could have been better.  6/10

20.   Hole:  A good track to end the album with.  Good verses and a solid hook make the track very well rounded.  8/10

 Conclusion:  This album was very enjoyable.  The beats are very well put together and the featured artists make the tracks they are on very worth a listen.  For any new fan of Sketchy this album is a great intro to his varied styles and ability to work on many different beats.  The album is a welcome addition to fans of Horror core, Hip Hop, and rap.

Overall Album Rating:  7/10

 

Favorite Tracks:

1. They call me Sketchy Waze
2. Come with me Feat Cryptic Wisdom & The Jokerr
3. In the Bay Feat Spice-1 & Rappin 4-Tay

Length:

• 79 Minutes

Record Label:

• mastermindz entertainment

Release Date:

• 12/21/2012

Purchase:

• Mastamindz Records - $10.00

Websites:

• Mastamindz Records

Reviewer:

• Juggalotus