Bay Area legend Keak da’ Sneak dropped his 24th solo album on Nov. 3, 2017 titled, “Withdrawal”. For those who don’t know, Keak da’ Sneak was shot on Jan. 20, 2017 and performed a concert several days later with a cane in one hand. Then on Aug. 21, 2017 another incident nearly killed him. He was shot 8 times in the torso in Richmond, California. After escaping death and multiple lifesaving surgeries, Keak realized he needed to make some imperative lifestyle changes. Thankfully one of those changes was focusing more heavily on his music career.
The 40-year-old Oakland born rapper is a statute in the Bay Area “Hyphy” movement, often being coined as the rapper who started the trend. The new album however, left the hyphy music at the door. “Withdrawal”, is unfiltered “M.O.B.” music, produced entirely by his long time friends, a duo known as, the Mekanix. The hell with the overbearing high hat and snare that trap music encompasses, this new album of Keak’s is bass heavy with lots of whistles and strings. The cutting and scratching on the album is reminiscent of his early work in the Bay area trifecta 3X Krazy. Keak’s voice is less raspy than per usual and in turn his rhymes are enunciated more clearly.
The only drawback is that there are one too many featured artists. Also, for some reason like many other rappers, there’s the one track on the album about their significant other and the whole wining and dining spiel. Luckily the touchy-feely track was conveniently placed at the end of the album. “Withdrawal” is fresh, many rap fans don’t even know it’s out yet, so there are very few reviews. It’s a great album to bounce, rock and roll to. It’s a must hear for all the rap fanatics out there and it is an instant Bay Area classic.
