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Max B & The Diplomats - Rise Of The Silver SurferAlbum Review by:
Michael Ivey
Thursday, February 7, 2008
 Anti-Dips- there are quite a few-view Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, and especially Tupac Shakur, as the antitheses of bright flag waving rappers respected more for image than music. The aforementioned heavyweights, however, are complex like Mark Ecko using all white models for urban clothing ads.
Max B, AKA Max Biggaveli, is the self-professed Michael, Magic and Bird all rolled in one: rap skills like Jay, lady lore like Big, rider spirit of Shakur. Though ‘Public Domain 2…’ neglects the sobering humility found in his predecessors’ work, Max B’s latest mix album is close to slack proof.
He takes Bungy chances by rocking over Lil Wayne’s “Where The Cash At” and “Bottom Of The Map” with discretionary flash-one streaming verse for “Bottom Of…” and two versatile sixteens on “Where The Cash,” original hook in tow. “Show Me Some Love,” the discs’ humblest tone, wraps up Max’s G credentials over somber vocal samples, droning bass and snare. The Tupac/Bone Thugz influence is evident throughout “Public Domain,” but Max flexes cadences somewhere between D’Angelo and Ja Rule over Curtis’ excellent “When It Rains It Pours.” Max is no ’02 50 Cent, but he sure does ride rappers’ original anthems on his own rolling wave; his version of Biggie’s “Notorious Thugz” is smart-a hook and bridge laden remix that credibly mimics the rapid flow classic. Max keeps his twenty three track mix concise-only half exceed three minutes-by featuring Baltimore thunder cat NOE and Mel Matrix. NOE brings a thumping flow to the entrancing stand out “No Man.”
Max nicely fits the crux of his life story into a 1:45 remix of Shaq’s “You Can’t Stop The Reign;” if his career ever does unfold into an LP, maybe we’ll learn how the self proclaimed pimp and accused attempted murderer progresses.
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