ARTIST: Twista
ALBUM: Dark Horse
LABEL: RCA
RELEASE DATE: August 12, 2014
In The Money
Written by Jeremy Weeden
Chicago rapper Twista is back with his 9th studio album, Dark Horse. First hitting the mainstream music scene in 1997 via Do or Die’s classic hit “Po Pim,” Twista has had a long and varied career. From an underground career to a certified star with “Slow Jamz” and “Overnight Celebrity,” Twista has traveled a path that most rappers only dream of. Part underground legend and part hit maker, Twista delivers it all and looks to continue that with Dark Horse.
The album begins with the title track, “Dark Horse” an ominous, eerie-sounding track that allows Twista to vent about being underrated as a rapper. He admits to being exasperated by it at times with the lyrics “Now recognizing me is an abomination/Speaking on the coldest and I’m not in the conversation/Overachiever, forever the underdog/I spit it but still omitted from every writer’s congregation/When I ain’t on the list with the mic splitters/Every once in a while I do be quite bitter.”
The next track is the hard hitting “I Am Such a Mobsta” produced by The Legendary Traxster. Over a slow grooving and bass-heavy beat, Twista proclaims his mobsta status.
Dark Horse continues with the appropriately titled “Beast” which has Twista showing that he is indeed one with the mic dropping rhymes like “In the beginning there was Adam, A-T-O-M/I am the Higgs Boson, meaning that I was there way before him/I kick logic, science, astrological when I be spitting you a verse/Feel like you probably fucking with me, you the first.”
Twista slows things down for the ladies over the next couple songs with “Getting Paper” featuring Dra Day and “It’s Yours” featuring Tia London. “It’s Yours” is the better of the two as it is produced by The Legendary Traxster, who also produced Twista’s 1997 hit “Get it Wetter” and has that classic Twista sound to it.
“Crisis” features fellow mid-western speed rapper Tech N9ne, and the result is just what one would imagine as the two trade rapid fire rhymes over a video game sounding beat. “Burnin” features Wiz Khalifa on the hook and Taylor Gang artist Berner. This song has good single potential with Wiz Khalifa’s catchy hook “My car burnin/, my weed burnin/My bitch so bad, you touch her once she burn you/So much money I burn it.”
“Me and You” is classic Twista as he spits over a heavy drum and organ laced beat. “Throwin my Money” is another potential single and reunites Twista with fellow Chicagoan R. Kelly. The song details the two at a strip club and the women that entice them to throw their money. “No Friend of Me” finds Twista teaming up with young Chicago rapper Chief Keef.
Dark Horse is a pretty good album overall. Twista does not reach the heights he has on some of his previous songs, but he also doesn’t bottom out. The album may not garner Twista any new fans but his established fan base should be pleased with the album. Dark Horse proves that 20-plus years in, Twista still has something to offer the world.