UK artist Montener the Menace released a new full length album title “I Have a  Hidden Hobby,” and perhaps it should stay just that.

Now, before you jump to conclusions, the album really isn’t that bad. There are one to two glaring things I take issue with, but other than that, it’s a very well put together body of work. There are a litany of features on the album, and pretty much all of them sound great. For the most part, each one has a somewhat grimy delivery and cadence that coincides nicely the hard hitting old school instrumentals, which are masterfully produced. So what is the issue? Unfortunately, it’s the Menace himself.

I do not recall the last time I heard a more mundane style of writing. There was one line that stood out to me and I really enjoyed, but the album is so long and unvarying that I can’t remember what it was, or which song it came from. It got to the point where I was wishing Montener had put more features in his songs, because maybe I’d be able to give “Hidden Hobby” a more favorable review that way. That’s not to say he can’t rap or write, I definitely think he has a passion for Hip Hop and a potential to get better, I just don’t think this was his greatest performance. He actually has some pretty consistently good syllable counts, but the main issue is that each line ends with a default one syllable rhyme. They’re super predictable, some times come off as clunky, and simply aren’t very engaging. Also, his delivery can seem quite goofy, and because his interludes have elements of comedy to them, I found myself occasionally wondering if this was a parody album. I don’t think it is, though. This seems like a genuine effort to make real music, and while I most certainly applaud that, I feel like he should have gone back to the drawing board a couple more times than he did. My only other complaint, thankfully, is not Montener, but rather that all of the beats kind of sound the same. The sixteen track album somehow doesn’t mix in enough variety of style and sound to make each instrumental feel unique and individualized.

You can’t call yourself one of the greatest rappers alive when your style sounds like it was ripped straight from a children’s TV program. Maybe I’m over analyzing this a little bit, or maybe I’m missing the humor here, but if that’s the case, then the humorous bits were not obvious enough as jokes. In the end, I don’t know what to make of “Hidden Hobby.” It has some fantastic features, excellent production, and then there’s Montener the Menace.

Rating: 6/10

Highlights: Features, Production

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Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com