Only a few minutes in, you hear someone shout, "I'm the illest brother coming out of the suburbs." Well, maybe not. Coming out of the indie rap circles of the West Coast,
Mykill Miers finally releases a much-anticipated debut album with little fanfare and only mild disappointment.
It's Been a Long Time Coming is a refreshing first effort even when it's faulty. Tracks like "Wanna Be an MC?" is a fuming, spit-filled, party-stomper, naming such targets as DMX, while guest artists (
Freddie Foxx, Iriscience, etc.) chime in with usually spirited, beneficial results. The production is also successful in the same way. Much like the popularizing tricks of
DJ Shadow, the "scratches as hooks" mentality is common. This effective bag of tricks climaxes in the final title track -- a fusion of jazzy introspection and an ode to creative MCing -- where
Miers shows off without making a false move. Which makes it even more unfortunate that most of these tricks are hammered into the ground by the time the album's massive 17 tracks are completed. The originality starts to wane and it's possible that some more preparation before plunging into the studio for the first time would have helped matters. This debut is simply easy to recommend for those into the growing scene of underground Californian hip-hop, but it is difficult to pass along to those craving for a revolutionary step away from the conventions of rap.