Sean Toure: Sound Channeler, The Invisible Man

Sean Toure' Sound Channeler, The Invisible Man Although some of the greatest artists in the history of hip-hop wear the hats of both MC and producer, few can be said to have estimable natural gifts in both skill sets (and usually, it’s the rhymes that either suffer or require the assistance of a ghostwriter). While Sean Toure' is probably better known around his native Baltimore as a beatmaker, particularly after 2010’s The Sean Toure' Remix Project, his first proper full-length as a rapper proves that he’s no slouch on the mic either. A minute into Sound Channeler, The Invisible Man, he declares that he’s “Runnin’ circles around MCs like it’s duck duck goose/ Rhyme, produce, the flow is the truth/ I’m tellin’ you dude, you couldn’t hang with me if the mic cord was a noose.” From there on out, he gets less boastful, while consistently sounding like he has something to prove.

Toure's voice isn’t the most expressive instrument, at times recalling rap’s more stoic voices like Black Thought of the Roots or Prodigy of Mobb Deep. As a live performer, Toure' overcomes that limitation with sheer energy, but on record the enthusiasm only comes across on occasional hooks and ad libs. Instead, it’s the atmosphere derived from his warm, funky productions and earnest, personal lyrics that makes the lengthy album more enjoyable than exhausting. Like-minded Maryland MCs such as Wordsmith, Kev Brown, and E Major pop up on nearly every track, and Toure' always sounds at home, if not completely in command of the proceedings. But it may be an unfortunate decision to subtitle your album The Invisible Man if you have a tendency to blend in with your surroundings.

For more information visit beatsociety.com.

> Email Al Shipley