A good way to get your feet wet is by working the mixtape circuit, which is what Long Island native Little Vic has done before releasing his EP Each Dawn I Die (Orena Records). Considering this is a first release for the artist, the album features an all-star line up from Kool G. Rap to producers Velotz, Double Shot and the legendary DJ Premier amongst others. With a heavy cast backing him, naturally there is a lot to be expected and he delivers just that.

The album opens with the pulsating title track where Vic states he’s reborn when he wakes because each dawn he dies; it also serves as a creative run down of each of the eleven tracks on the disc. Vic also declares that he’s not going anywhere and puts other MC’s on blast for creating their own fictional life events on the horn blaring “It’s My Turn.”

The next two selections “The Evil That Men Do” and “Dying Slowly” are tolerable but easily forgotten compared to the singles that follow. “This Is What It Sounds Like” holds its own and flows well with the premise of the album.

The first single “The Exorcist” features DJ Premier at his best, with his trademark scratch in hook. Vic represents his hometown and pays homage to one of GangStarr’s 90’s classics in one fell swoop (“Straight from Long Island gunning for the mass appeal”).

Another notable mention on the album is “Caked Up” featuring Kool G. Rap. Vic takes you back on the bass heavy track to the old school Nintendo era (“Pop Prozac for the sh*t I might write / Don’t hold back when I make my own tracks like Excitebike”); while G. Rap sticks to his gritty street narratives.

“Sister Morphine” produced by Sly Vest is the highlight of the entire album and brings things to a close perfectly as one of the last two tracks. The melodic soundscape matched with his no nonsense delivery makes this an easy top pick.

Like many albums this one starts heavy, slows down a bit in the middle and closes strong. Little Vic’s contribution to Hip-Hop turns out to be a pretty good addition.

Little Vic

"The Exorcist"