Back in 2006, Jay-Z referred to Lupe Fiasco as a "breath of fresh air" what Jay was referring to was the fact that Lupe was bringing something new to the rap game which at the time lacked creativity and was stale. If I was asked to describe Che I would use the same exact words. Besides a few artist like Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj (depends on who you ask), Angel Haze and Nitty Scott not too many female artist are noticeable. In my opinion Nitty Scott is the best female rapper to come out in the last fives years mainly due to her ability to actually rap and her ear for production. I see the same exact qualities in Che.
TIT benefits mainly from two things, Che's ability to rap well and intelligently and the production. Throughout the entire tape both of these hold true. Not during any point did I think she or the production was slacking. It is also one of the better tapes I've heard mixing wise, most indie releases lack in sound quality but TIT sounds clean.
Another thing I noticed was Che's versatility not only can she rap but she can sing pretty well too. It added another level to her tracks and kept them personal, as many of her tracks are, by not having to rely on a singer trying to capture her emotions/lyrics. Songs such as "Hard Knock", "Blindz" and "My Rooster" are a few examples.
One thing rap is missing right now is creative and real subject matter, especially female rap. One of the highlights of TIT is Che's ability to creatively share her personal stories. On TIT she describes her issues/experiences with her father, sexuality, relationships, drugs and life in general. Not one track sounds the same but it all comes together to tell a story and by the end of the tape you'll feel like you've known Che for all her life. Few artist these days can make a tape telling their personal stories and make you care and that was what Che was able to do much like Kendrick Lamar did with good kid, m.A.A.d city.
Speaking of Kendrick Lamar you can hear a lot of him in Che, his influence is definitely there. However, it never comes off as her emulating him, simply just an admiration for his craft. TIT even features many samples that can be found on Kendrick's tracks, such as Relaspe. It was nice to see how both Che and the producers could use the same sample but flip it into something totally unique and dope.
To wrap this up, Che dropped what is easily one of my favorite tapes so far in 2013. I can only see things going up for her. With her unique style, fluid flow and lyrical skill Che stands out in an age of clones. Hopefully she can gain the recognition she deserves, she already has gained the eye of Juicy J recently joining him on stage at his show in Pontiac at the Crofoot. I expect to see many more great things from her in the future and this is only the beginning.
Standout Tracks: O.T.A.F.O., GERMZ, Sniper$ and Diaper$, Relapse & Annoying Hippy.
FINAL VERDICT
+ Lyrical skill
+ Great production from the beats to the mixing
+ Subject matter
+ Sharp flow and wordplay
- A bit too long
9.5/10
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