Wow, a new rap album from Doseone! The joy is great – at least for those who poached in the obscure fringes of US hip-hop at the turn of the millennium. Huge! But the fear is not small either: what if this is an unnecessary, mediocre, possibly conventional late work? After all, Doseone’s first solo LP was released 27 years ago. Even though he was last active with the A7pha project, which was squeezed in between his video game recordings, the skepticism remains. At least until the first measure. Because »All Portrait, No Chorus« leaves no doubt from the start: Great things are happening here. And: Doseone remains incompatible with convention.
With New York producer Steel Tipped Dove from the Backwoodz imprint, he has found the ideal partner for his elusive weirdness. His polyrhythmic, rapid-fire raps work beautifully with his intricate beat structures – aggressive, cryptic as ever, hellishly intense, abstract to the point of mindfuck. And yet: laid back in places, almost spoken word. See »That Work« or »Untouchable«, where instrumental and rap intertwine smoothly and compellingly – until it comes to a core fusion in tracks like »Restaurant Not«, »Ta Da« and »Epinephrine Pen«. The feature guests are also impressive: Open Mike Eagle, Fatboi Sharif, M. Sayyid (Antipop Consortium), label boss Billy Woods and Myka 9 (Freestyle Fellowship) – all guarantors of artistry beyond the conventional, who put in a mighty effort to hold their own alongside Doseone.
