Let’s be honest here: conceptual records by rap artists are very often nothing but a rickety exterior wrapped around a well known content. The uninspired rapper tries to turn to an alter ego, a fictional background story or uses an exclusively different instrumental to promote the same old contents – it’s the famous sheep in wolf’s clothing. 7even Thirty’s »Heaven’s Computer« is exactly such an… errr… concept album, on which the Mississippi-MC (with the help of an alias) uses beats intended as out-of-the-ordinary in order to rap about the following story: an alien named Max Redrum has the apocalyptic order to confront earth, only to realize after his failed mission that the blue planet is a pretty cool place, after all. Of course, such a story line makes it obvious to use science-fiction classics like »Blade Runner« as reference points and extensive 80s-sounds from the synth box for the musical presentation. But even though the facts must read like a sole reproduction of clichees, »Heaven’s Computer« is a refreshing stop at the space station of rap. 7even Thirty, capable of rapping by all means, does his job as profound and unobtrusive as his colleagues from the Mello Music Group-roster, but doesn’t stick to the science-fiction mind map through the whole 14 tracks. Thanks to the boom-bap-mix between stadium-rock, fusion-jazz and new wave shreds, the mission eventually turns into a interesting visit to the planetarium on an instrumental level. »Heaven’s Computer« is no moon landing, but can be compared in it’s solidity to a musical sky dive from the stratosphere.
Heaven's Computer
