It’s crazy how such a talented MC with a powerful catalog can just get ignored. Devin The Dude somehow just seems to glide under the radar which may just make his fans appreciate him just that much more. It’s just something about his creative flow and his every day topics that strike with his listener; making most of his songs difficult to be cut off halfway. Bootlegged and on the streets earlier than its expected April date, fans get a taste of their upcoming fix with this leaked version of Smoke Sessions Volume 1 (BCD).
For those fans expecting a normal mixtape full of DJ drops, gunshots, and old cuts, you’re in for a rude awakening. Devin reminds everyone why he’s your favorite rapper’s rapper. On “Official Smoke Session Intro,” he effortlessly rattles off a minute of straight rapping with his patented spaced out style. The cool “Take Me Home” has Devin dropping bombs over some great bass licks. Dev doesn’t forget to deliver his tongue in cheek humor on “If I Did A Mixtape,” and “Mixtape II;” also “Devin”izing some of your favorite old school joints with “B#### Gotta Go.”
Devin doesn’t just work alone with this mixtape. J.Blaze delivers piercing bars on his solo “J. Blaze Freestyle” giving the project a change of pace but also getting your head nodding. Todd Fisher steals a bit of the show with his wild story on the appropriately named track “Todd’s Crazy Ass.” Furthermore, 14k gives a smooth presentation with “Not Them Those.” “Getting High” may be a smoker’s 2008 anthem with the sample laced production that has The Dude and his original crew of The Odd Squad dishing out chronic laced rhymes. The Coughee Brothers click also get some shine (“Coughee Brothers Freestyle”) where Devin himself kills it with lines like “D-E-V-I-N C-O-P-E-L-A-N-D / B**** try to get me and police try to catch me.”
As with any leak of this nature, the sneak peak isn’t perfect. This effort feature some choppy sound quality appearing on a couple tracks (“Making It Hard,” “Old School B****”), but it doesn’t hold it back too much. Outside of that, Smoke Sessions Volume 1 features some good music, funny comedy, and great times. You know that feeling of a laid back afternoon on the back porch? With Sessions it feels like you just happen to have Devin and company with you; reminding you that there isn’t anything thing wrong with just trying to live.
