Viro The VirusViro The Virus is a veteran MC based out of dirty Jersey and has cut his teeth over the course of 3 previous solo albums and other compilations. The only other material that I am familar with of Viro's is his previous album Jersey's Finest which I coped from Cue Records and just from going off of that Viro has stepped his game up no doubt.
Viro is an MC that has an array of weapons in his arsenal. He can hit you with the one-liners, he can tell you a story, he can be literal or use wordplay, he can be funny or he can be dead serious. His delivery is clear and concise and for the most part laid back. I got to defer much props to Viro for having no guests whatsoever on the album, he carries the weight on his back and does so exceptionally.
Over the span of the 19 tracks Viro runs through an array of issues, some serious and some not so serious. Lyrically my favorite track is "Heartless", a seriously introspective song that opens you up to Viro's world and the sadness that sometimes invades it. Caliph-Now's beat perfectly compliments the melancholiness of the song. Another no fucking around track is "Who Are You?" which is about people that aren't comfortable in their skin. The production of Happ G accentuates the mood of song nicely. The final track of the album "The Streets" sees Viro talking about his knowledge of his streets, something many street kids can identify with.
The Sharpest Blade features production from some of the best producers in hip hop right now; Stress, Happ G, Eyego/Direct, Caliph-NOW, Slim DSM,and Decypher. There are some straight bangers on here and every producer has at least one but there area couple that are less than stellar. "Push It Back" is definitely the worst of the 19. Not only does it break the flow of the album but it's just corny as fuck. I love me a fat ass but I do not love corny, contrived booty songs.
Rating: 4/5
Songs Worthy of Replay:"The Sharpest Blade", "Repo Man", "Desperate",
"Heartless", "The Change Up", "Passion of The V", "The Streets"
Synopsis: You take out "Push It Back" and this is a banger from front to back. The combination of Viro's lyricism and the talented group of producers behind him make this an album worthy of much replay. I know times are hard (which Viro touches on in "$12.50") but make it a point to add "The Sharpest Blade" to your collection.
""The Sharpest Blade" Video