The Bootleg Of The Bootleg EP
Is the Artist Formerly Known as What What the elusive "complete" emcee with ovaries you’ve been looking for sinceLauryn Hill’s post-Miseducationmeltdown? Well, in an industry plagued with 6th-rateLil Kimknock-offs, honestly, Grae might be as close as it gets. On the battle rhyme "Hater’s Anthem," you get a small taste of the attributes that rank her alongsideBahamadiaas far as smart wordy flows and rewind-able punch lines go. Here, Grae promises to take out all "…lame dames that couldn’t be felt with Braille scripture." Sure, the refrain that repeats on the hook is unnecessarily coarse, but "Take Me" sees Grae going morally deeper over a vastly overused sample flipping a one-on-one-with-God soliloquy that’s stylishly provocative.Cannibal Ox’s off-kilter cerebral rhymes and a perfectly-placed mesmeric flute loop help to break up the pace ofBootlegson "Swing Blades" for listeners who might tire of Grae’s fairly monotone rapid-fire flow. Conceptually, "Chapter One: Destiny" rates as next level because it ends leaving the listener with the option of determining the fate of a fictional unnamed assassin. Beats-wiseBootlegsis slightly above average although Grae junkies will be happy to know that the alleged last track actually segues into a 45-minute collection of her ripping verses over familiar beats from popularEminemandScarfacecuts among others. When she’s not doing that, she’s performing equal opportunity remakes of popularJay-Ztunes like "Excuse Me Miss." Whether the new material onBootleghas cemented Grae’s position as the next best femcee only a full-length release and time will tell. Until then, you can enjoy the inclusion of some of her back catalog singles with Natural Resource ("Negro League Baseball") on here. --Dalton Higgins