"Surfacing" LP [July, 2004]
reviewed by Mike Zhang (customer from New Jersey)

With the industry spotlight shining primarily on the shoulders of American emcees these days, I was pleasantly surprised by a Canadian emcee called Prizm. When I got his new LP, “Surfacing,” I literally felt like a fat kid in a candy store. Prizm’s new LP is certainly a refreshing change from the repetitive music mainstream hip-hop is offering us today and also a change from the lame hooks and beats presented in most underground hip-hop. What this CD will offer you is a new type of hip-hop that’s both unique and fresh. Those of you who are already familiar with Prizm’s work will not be disappointed by this opus, and those of you who aren’t are certainly missing out.

One thing that I’ve always noticed in Prizm's music, especially on this album, that makes him different from all of the artists out there is his unique and distinctive style of rapping. Whether it’s laid-back and introspective or double-time and aggressive, his rapping always has a ‘Prizm vibe’ to it that you won’t hear anywhere else - guaranteed. On “Surfacing,” his flow is accompanied by beautiful, instrument-based beats that allow each song to carry and express a different feeling. Written about a variety of things like the girls in his life, his songs always have real stories behind them – stories that many of us, as listeners, can feel and understand, too.

Although Prizm is comparable to many of the more established emcees out today, his songs still need that little bit of polishing that will truly make this star shine. Enough said, all in all, this is a damn good product: each song represents a part of Prizm at his finest. And if you still don’t feel like buying this album after reading this, your wack...

Score: 9.5/10

REVIEWED BY MIKE ZHANG