The Legacy Mixtape "Life As It As" is definitely not an album one should be missing out on. Chincheck and Ja Vid make one of the sickest combinations I¡¦ve heard in Hip Hop and personally hearing them has influenced my rap very immensely. This mixtape contains a collection of a variety of styles from them showing they can do it all.

The introduction starts off with a bunch of movie quotes and really sets the mood for the CD. Followed up is Chincheck¡¦s track ¡§You Think You Know Me.¡¨ I actually heard this right when it came out. It¡¦s a nice track but personally it¡¦s one of my least favorite from him. My fav line from that track is probably, ¡§And I¡¦m not black folk but I can still rap though, half of you are retarded and that¡¦s why you rap slow.¡¨ Overall a good track, but for Chin¡¦s level I¡¦m saying it¡¦s decent. So it gets 3.5/5

The next track on the mixtape is ¡§Krazy.¡¨ This one features Ja Vid and Chincheck. It starts off with a catchy hook. Chincheck has an amusing verse, very easy to get into. Ja Vid has a great verse in this filled with rhymes and it¡¦s very catchy. Overall for a party track this one turned out dope. I¡¦d give this a 4.5/5
Quotables: Chincheck-¡§The fact is, um I don¡¦t wanna be black kid, I just paint myself in shoe polish and hold my bows when I¡¦m rappin¡¨ and for Ja Vid, ¡§Sick of pickin up a liquor bottle and to pick a fit into a bigger bottle and god I¡¦ma use it, sharpest tool in the tool shed choose it abuse the new kid and blame it on the music.¡¨ Liked the rhyme scheme there and it was delivered real well.

Next up is a solo track by Ja Vid called ¡§Changing Places.¡¨ I heard this a LONG time ago back when I first got into these two. This one has a real nice beat, Ja really sets the mood with this, very nice emotion. This one doesn¡¦t stand out to me much anymore, but it used to. Overall I give it a 4/5
Quotables: ¡§I don¡¦t wanna be like that, hit em with a rage and I¡¦m free like that, hit with a pain when the rain comes down, hit em with the pain never seen like bats.¡¨

Track 5 is called ¡§Time¡¦s Up¡¨ and it¡¦s over a Jadakiss with Nate Dogg on the hook. This one has a lot of quotables. Different flow for Chincheck, but I enjoyed it. Very nice track here, no flaws in it at all. Overall 4.5/5-It¡¦s good but the flow didn¡¦t appeal to me as much as your other tracks, got some 5¡¦s on the way though man.
Quotables:¡¨My name is Chin and I¡¦ma keep withholdin, but I¡¦ma change my name to silence (Why¡¦s that?) cuz silence is golden¡¨ ¡§And if some fuckers wanna scrap though, I throw so many punches that their face will be lookin chubbier than Fat Joes¡¨ The rest of you can buy the mixtape if you wanna hear the rest of his quotables from this track.

Track 6 is a solo track by Ja Vid called ¡§Consequences.¡¨ A very emotional track and once again Ja delivers the emotion perfectly. Ja never ceases to amaze me with his rhyming skills, he needs to get famous so when people refer to ¡§Ja¡¨ they are talking about someone with talent ƒº Overall this is another 4.5/5
Quotables: To be honest no lines stood out to me, but this type of track doesn¡¦t need outstanding lines, emotion was perfect.

Track 7 is Chin and Ja coming together again for ¡§It Doesn¡¦t Matter.¡¨ Nice emotional beat, an Engineer one if I remember right. Hook is real nice, I got plenty of friends who loved the original. To be honest I¡¦m not really feeling Ja Vid¡¦s part on this one, for him I¡¦d say it¡¦s one of his weaker showings. I give this a 4/5
Quotables:¡¨I¡¦m tellin y¡¦all on the verge, I¡¦m bout to break down, give in to this rage and this pain I feel so spaced out, give into the liquor and drugs I feel so laced now, bet the next image you see of me is layin face down¡¨-Chincheck

Track 8 ¡§Flowers for the Dead¡¨ is just simply amazing and if don¡¦t enjoy it then something is wrong with you. Fast paced spittin from both emcees with singing on the hook. This track talks about the current state of our society. Overall this one gets a 5/5, 7 and a half minutes and I still didn¡¦t want it to end. Yet another track that doesn¡¦t need quotables.

Track 9 is ¡§Love You¡¨ featuring Wynta and honestly I¡¦d say this is the weakest track on the mixtape. I like the hook, but I¡¦m not really feelin the verses at all, Chin and Neek tore it up on their previous track ¡§Come With Me¡¨ but I¡¦m just not feelin the flows on this. Overall 2/5

Track 10 is called ¡§In Your Hands¡¨ and it features Rebecca, this track is simply amazing. Completely different style, I could see this bein acted out as a play or something, Ja shows his singing talents and immense rapping talents. Chincheck tears it up with some of his fast flow that his true fans know he is more than capable of. Really no quotables from this for me, but this is another 5/5 great track!

Now track 11 is just the shit, it opens up with Neek, a dope emcee from the WA area. Ja is on the 2nd verse and Chincheck graces the 3rd. Ja sounds nice on the hook and each verse is nice. Overall-5/5
Quotables: ¡§So, no maam I don¡¦t want ya number, I don¡¦t want you calling me I just wanna fuck ya¡¨-Neek ¡§Get in the bus leave, better not trust me, they call me Lotto and you never getting lucky¡¨-Ja Vid ¡§And I know you wanna fuck me you love but girl I need a whole lotta liquor cuz you¡¦re a whole lotta ugly¡¨-Chincheck. Dope ass track, check it out.

Track 12 features Chincheck and Ja Vid and is called ¡§Hip Hop.¡¨ Another track I heard a long time ago, but I still love it. Ja sounds nice on the hook. Both verses are strong and show a unique flow. It reflects their points of views on hip hop and I really felt it because they are pretty much the same as mine. Overall I¡¦d give this a 4.5/5, would be a 5 if it were one verse longer.
Quotables:¡¨But nobody listens stuck on pop¡¦s society¡¦s prison caught up with, image and glamour talent made on equipment¡¨-Chincheck ¡§I¡¦m not gonna fall for this fake industrial mistake, like forgettin Jesus and all the reasons that he was staked¡¨-Ja Vid

Track 13 is another solo from Ja Vid called ¡§Hip Hop¡¦s Demise.¡¨ Once again an emotional track and he delivers it perfectly again. I like the track a lot but it didn¡¦t stand out much to me, overall a 4/5.
Quotables: ¡§It doesn¡¦t matter whether you like it or not, less rappers are rappin and even Eminem has stopped¡¨

Track 14 is a track that I really really like, It¡¦s a self titled song called ¡§Javid¡¨ by Javid. Very humorous track. Nice beat, flow is perfectly, creative lines. This is one of my favorite tracks that I¡¦ve heard in a while. The hook is hysterical. Overall a 5/5
Quotables: ¡§Cuz when I come hard I come so hard, her brain¡¦s get impregnated and gives birth to god¡¨ ¡§Cuz ya white but all ya doin is blockin up the writers, You just a faggot in red with blonde hair pass off Barbie to do Ken like Street Fighters¡¨-Not really sure if I quoted that right, but it sounded good, haha.

Track 15 is over a Sho Down beat and is called ¡§We Can Do This¡¨ and it shows their versatility. This is a violent track with a catchy hook and strong verses. Overall I give this track a 5/5
Quotables: ¡§I¡¦m not disturbed and I really hate violence it¡¦s ironic but if ya talk shit, I¡¦ll leave ya silenced¡¨-Chincheck ¡§I¡¦m similar to bright light cuz as soon as you see it it¡¦s over and all that¡¦s left of you is white glares¡¨-Javid ¡§

There are only 15 track listed on the CD, but it has 18, track 16 is ¡§Be Somebody¡¨ and is another anti hip-pop track, nice track, but to me it¡¦s old. Track 17 is a track by Javid called ¡§Always¡¨ and it¡¦s dedicated to a special girl, I bet he got some after makin that track, haha. Finally track 18, kinda sounds like a club track, this is the one track I¡¦m unfamiliar with it, it¡¦s nice, but not anything that stands out to me.

Overall this mixtape is incredible, and I recommend all of you buy this before The Legacy blows up so you can say ¡§Hey I got their first mixtape, I knew about them from the start!¡¨ I give this mixtape a 5/5. I¡¦m already familiar with a lot of the tracks so I was a little harsher on judging some, but anyone unfamiliar with their styles should love this. Best of wishes to Chincheck and Ja Vid and I hope you both release solo albums so I have more material from ya, peace!

-Tactics

The Internet has become a breeding ground for upcoming and underground musicians in various genres - particularly Hip Hop. Since Eminem's film 8 Mile hit the screens - much like his breakthrough single My Name Is - it has inspired many to rap and battle, particularly online. Infamously, the e-rap community is considered a cesspool of no-talents and fake emcees, but simultaneously it has produced very promising artists, most of which are members of the Soundclick.com community.

So, Chin Check and Ja Vid - two emcees from Australia who met online - both have participated in large-scale online battle tournaments, and done several topical and collaborative tracks, all of which has raised their reputation in various large circles online. The next step forward came in the way of this, their first mixtape, "Life As It Is", with the theme of current events running through its artwork, intro, and seven and a half minute epic "Flowers For The Dead", in which both Chin Check and Ja Vid collaborate in an anti-war and anti-Bush track, touching potently on several different elements of society post-9/11.

The two emcees have great contrasting styles which work superbly in both conscious Hip Hop and upbeat club bangers. Opening track "You Think You Know Me" sees Chin Check exhibit his cocky punchline style over a string-driven Swollen Members instrumental, whilst "Changing Places" is a powerful, aggressive and lyrical message portrayed by Ja Vid in a solo track. "Consequences" is again a solo Ja Vid track, and wrought with emotion from beginning to end; lyrically and stylistically the song displays complex rhyme scheme and impeccable flow - which is Ja Vid's specialty, all in all it makes for one of the best tracks present. "Time's Up" is without doubt what will be most appealing to the majority that buy this mixtape. The beat being that from the Jadakiss track, and the infamous Nate Dogg on the hook, Chin Check again delivers several quotables throughout his verses on this track, including a jab at those who have flocked for the fantasy life of Internet rap stardom since 8 Mile's release.

It's hard to believe two styles would submerge with such amazing potential, but in "Life As It Is", both Chin Check and Ja Vid have shown their ability to succeed in Hip Hop as solo artists or collaborating, and on a commercial, West-coast approach and conscious level. A strong guest performance from underground and unsigned emcee Neek on "Don't Call No More" proves a highlight in the song, whilst closing track "We Can Do This" brings a twisted, dark element into The Legacy's repetoire, full of quotables from both Chin Check ("I'll cut your throat to a rhythm with or without music") and Ja Vid ("and fuck honour, I'm willin' to stab you in the back 'cause I'm a cheat"). The Legacy are familiar with high-quality recording and mixing equipment - so unlike several other demos/mixtapes from upcoming artists, quality isn't an issue here - this sounds as polished and refined as music available on the shelves of your local music store.

The Legacy have been working together for considerable time prior to the release of this mixtape, and thus a lot of material was at their disposal for it, and despite a lot of it being new material, they were tempted into including some of the more popular tracks previously recorded. "Krazy", though with a catchy chorus, does make for one of the weaker songs on the album, whilst "Hip Hop", another old track, is universally a great performance both lyrically and stylistically in the way it delivers The Legacy's harsh but widely appreciated views on current Hip Hop affairs. The melancholic "It Doesn't Matter" is another old track, which was re-recorded and slowed down, this worked to good effect and it does prove a highlight on the record. There are two female vocalists featuring on two tracks: "I Love You" is a short, radio-friendly song to "the special lady", with the impressive Wynta and Ja Vid in a duet on the chorus. Chin Check's personal favourite "In Your Hands" is a track full of energy with an orchestral but fast-paced beat. Rebecca and Ja Vid work in tandem very effectively both in the verses and on the chorus, and the song is climaxed by Chin Check's verse rapping in a style immediately recognised as similar to Twista, this is the sort of track which can and will bring The Legacy on to big things in Hip Hop - and remember, this is where it started...

-Orion-

RATING: ****

To buy this visit soundclick.com/chincheck or email chinchizzle@hotmail.com

-Orion-