"Surfacing" LP [July, 2004]
reviewed by Kaleal Crooks for Hiphopcrib.com

Pros: the beats, and the flow of the emcee
Cons: very redundant (it's like buying a hip hop Jodeci album)
Score: 8/10
Recommend? Yes.

If ever a bright light was visible in hip hop, that time is now. Prizm steps into that light with his LP, Surfacing, and from the center, one can see some of the most beautiful, colourful music reflect from the heart of this album. Not much negativity is present in this album at all, if I had to compare it to anything, overall it was a Barney and Friends love story. This Canadian emcee could easily be classified as a typical underground lyricist with his conscious rap, unique flow, and horribly weak hooks, so one might ask what sets him apart from the crowd in a time where hip hop is experiencing an over saturation world wide. Well, Prizm, being a producer and emcee, narrows his challengers, and also having experimental rhyme schemes helps him stand out (being Canadian doesn't hurt either). So with that being said, I'll attempt to describe this delicacy, which is much like an acquired taste. He is either going to make you drool, and crave more, or give you food poisoning and have your ears trying to regurgitate the sounds which may seem to gag your mind, for weeks.

Let's be straight forward. The album has little to no mainstream appeal and lacks heavily in the hook department. The beats are very original and beautiful, yet unoriginal with the heavy use of vocal samples in the introductions and throughout tracks, this is a very popular (and hopefully dying) phase in hip hop music, especially now. In addition, Prizm is an emcee who brings an up-tempo delivery for the most part, so to fully understand the album, the audience may need a few replays. Most of his lyrics seem personal and deeper than the average listener may be used to, which is a quick turnoff, if you can't relate, you can't bump it. For those that have been following the man known as Prizm, the album will be a comforting and rather pleasant experience, for he tends to like to talk about women and relationships. After the first 3 tracks, everything begins to blur. Definitely NOT something you can bump at a party or around your people, actually, this is probably an album EVERYBODY bumps, but nobody will admit that they do. The album is well put together, the lyrics are above par, and Prizm represents himself well. However, the schemes and topics get old and dry, even K-Y won't help you feel it if you’re not in the mood, so I recommend everybody check the samples available and put 2 and 2 together before you decide. The album is not bad at all, it just doesn't seem to have a wide range of appeal, maybe it's meant for the women, who knows.

REVIEWED BY KALEAL CROOKS
(Article online here.)