ANDY MINEO

Andy Mineo has built up a rep through the typical hip-means of mix tapes and guest appearances. On his first proper album, he’s transparent to a fault, which is probably his point. The dude’s earnest like Drake without the queasy-making self-aggrandizing and rampant libido satiation.

Plus, he varies his flow, from slow and low for the head-nodders to the kind of hyperspeed word-cramming that fans of Twista and T-Bone can appreciate.

Mineo’s narrative voice is close to consummated, but it should prove compelling to hear him develop in that regard. Musically, Heroes for Sale runs the gamut of styles to complement the differing couplets. Reggaeton, dubstep, New Orleans second line marching band rhythms, acid jazz, psychedelic funk, and jack swing collide and coalesce behind the mic Mineo and his several guests hold. Would the whole affair have been better without an abundance of sung choruses? Maybe, but this is still a solid debut.

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Jamie Lee Rake

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