Fresh Out the Pen

iTunes Review

As the mastermind behind the Los Angeles rap outfit Above The Law, Cold 187um pioneered a lazy, synth-heavy brand of G-Funk that loosened the screws on Dr. Dre’s airtight G-Funk sound, and left space for improvisation and chaos. While Above The Law may be best known for their Dre produced debut on Ruthless Records, their subsequent efforts featured Cold 187um’s less restrained production aesthetic and have earned a cult following amongst West Coast aficionados. Fresh Out The Pen is Cold 187um’s first conscious effort to recapture the sun-drenched aesthetic of classic Above The Law. Though opening track “So Real” borrows sparingly from Kaye’s chipmunk soul sound, its stately tempo and rolling bassline are pure Los Angeles. Over the course of his two-decade long career Cold 187um has quietly produced some of the most distinctive and appealing West Coast hip-hop, from Kokane’s deranged Funk Upon a Rhyme to Above The Law’s unheralded classic Uncle Sam’s Curse. Fresh Out the Pen is another worthy entry in Cold 187um’s impressive discography.