Poe Picasso: Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit B EP = Grade A Hip Hop

Back in July, while covering the Rebirth of Hip Hop concert at SOBs, I was approached by an artist who asked me who I write for, and for my contact information. He told me his name was Poe Picasso, and that his music was good, and “intelligent.” I replied, “Intelligent?” and gave possibly an unfair bit of an “I’ve heard that before” look. Poe Picasso looked me back in my eyes, put his hand on my shoulder, and with clear conviction told me, “Yes. You’ll love it.”

I’ve heard THAT before.

Anyway, Poe Picasso followed up in the next couple of days, as pleasantly persistent as a hustling artist should be, pointing out that one of his songs had make the front “Bangers” of XXLmag.com. I told him I was backlogged and wasn’t able to check his full project yet, but will check the single as well as his mixtapes as soon as I could. I recall hearing a bit of the song, it didn’t make much of an impression at the moment, but in retrospect, I’m certain it was due to whatever distraction had my attention at the time, and not an indictment to the quality of the song.

This was further proven when I finally sat down and listened to Poe Picasso’s mixtape Exhibit A: The Real Hip-Hop Project. Between our initial meeting and the title of this mixtape, I thought, “Man, this Poe Picasso sure loves hyperbole.” I tuned in, and… I’ll be/was damned… It IS intelligent. And well-produced. And, unlike an unfortunate many projects that cross my path, enjoyable to listen to.

As with any MC of a certain age riding a streetsmart/booksmart line, the Jay-Z influence is noticeable, but it is not overwhelming. Soulful original boom-bap beat production and well-selected industry tracks throughout, a few joints on Exhibit A really stood out that required rewinds. Immediately in “By The Bulk,” Poe Picasso makes it clear he fancies himself an intellectual rapper, and his adept wordplay, full of smart, occasionally obscure references, solidifies his initial claim promised to me at our first meeting.

Won me over by track 11 (“9th Inning”) with lines like “Moron / I spit bittersweet like an oxymoron / I want the ring like Zoron / or else I’ll call my Rangers up like Zordon / and turn shook niggas into stone like a Gorgon.”

!!!

Though much of Poe’s content still borders on typical rap fare, braggadocio revolving around his differentness (like in “Waste of Lead”), it’s never quite overdone, and fact is, Poe Picasso IS a little different. Smart, good flow and good beats all coalesce on tracks such as “Outside,” a cautionary/hopeful tale laid out over the music to Beanie Sigel’s “I Can Feel It in the Air.”

Note: Exhibit A is now almost three years old, and I think it still holds up. His Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny was released in November 2009, with a follow-up EP, Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny EP was dropped last month, October 2010. I’ve given Exhibit B play, and yes, it is equally worthy of my ear time, a sort of concept album, with religious undertones throughout, but more importantly, I just didn’t want to hold up my long overdue co-sign of Poe Picasso any longer.

Check him out.