DJ Obi has done it again. From the man who brought you the breakthrough mixtape Hearos 4 Hire Vol. 1 comes a full-length album titled Confidentially Phenomenal. The title itself reflects Obi’s attitude toward the hip-hop scene, where people sleep on so much good music, it’s almost like it’s a secret. Well, I have some good news. The secret is out and CP is finally here. Los Angeles native DJ Obi brings us 14 gems of hand crafted hip-hop featuring some of the illest up and coming talents on the microphone. The beats are a mixture of East Coast boom-bap and West Coast swagger with a touch of live guitar, bass, keyboards, and scratches. You can hear in Obi’s sound that he is a new school producer with old school sensibilities. So if you are looking for an album that sounds like something on your major radio stations or local dance club, then look elsewhere. What Obi brings to the table is a hardcore sound that still has a fun quality to it and doesn’t take itself too seriously. On the microphone we have a roster of Los Angeles mc’s with completely different styles that mesh together distinctly. Mc’s Avatar, Big Swish, Kaliban, Meyer Wolfsheim, and Obvious spit like their lives depended on it. Avatar’s cadence and phrases are insane and he creates his own unique rhythms while riding the beat with ease. With his low charismatic voice, Big Swish brings that suave and yet forceful sound to the album. Kaliban brings those hostile spitfire battle-driven lyrics, threatening those who stand in his way. Meyer Wolfsheim brings that characteristic laid back, smoking jacket delivery with a psychotic quality. Long Beach’s Obvious comes with that smooth accessible flow and clever metaphors. Overall, we have a lineup of high velocity mc’s that rise to the occasion and deliver the goods. Big Swish’s track If Anyone (It’s The DJ) is the first single off the album. The song has a steady groove and complementing lyrics that transport you to a cool hip-hop lounge with positive vibes. You can definitely get your head noddin to this one. On the song Pablo Sesna, Kaliban delivers a confident masterful flow over a reggae-influenced beat. These guys must have been smoking ganja on a mountaintop when they came up with this one. Avatar takes us into a paranoid frenzy in Spies where he touches on the subject of big brother watching everything we do over a sinister classical music loop. On the quirky jazz-influenced Meyer Wolfsheim track I Let It Ride, we are given a taste of what hip-hop would have sounded like in the Roaring 20s. With Obvious’s song Final Call, Obi gives us a knocker with a Middle Eastern feel with citars and an airy female vocal sample. On the Hearos 4 Hire posse cut Dusty Calhoun, each mc takes their turn to show their skill over a Wild West hip-hop beat with live slide guitar. If Confidentially Phenomenal was a painting it would be one that you could only understand if you stepped back from it and looked at it as a whole. The album is meant to be heard from beginning to end because it is, in fact, a journey. The songs have eclectic vibes which draw from different cultures, countries, times in history, and styles. So, with that in mind, press play and enjoy your trip.