After an 11 year hiatus, Tampa’s Hip Hop Urban Legend Scxtt Aye returns with “Doves”.
Out the gate Scxtt hits the listener with that hazy slightly west coast production, giving off mad Tampa vibes. This is Scxtt’s moment and no one is taking him down, cause you never know when your gonna go. Really dope opening track setting the tone for the project.
“In$omnia” is on some Trill shit. Vern Senior comes through with some laid back vibes. I really dig the chopped and screwed element of the hook. Scxtt hits us with a sped up flow, while still delivering each bar with ease. Would like to see a video for this joint.
The new school and the old school join forces on “Diamonds”. This track is just epic, with two of Tampa’s best emcees Scxtt Aye and Jay Browne on one track. You feel the passion and belief in every Scxtt spits. The hook brings the track together, with the pressure creates diamonds connection. Really dig the level change up on the hook as well as the different extensions of it like on that “Old Friends, New Foes” portion. Jay Browne has been killing every feature he is on for the past two years and this song just adds to that catalog. This might be his best feature verse thus far. Oh yeah shout out to them horns on the beat. I feel this track will eventually become a legendary song in the city.
Scxtt takes us back with a soul sample joint on “Rebel”. The structure of this track is crazy. The hook is more subdued but once the drums kick in Scxtt goes off. That get the hell out my dm for a feature line stuck out to me, bro probably gets hit up all the time. Scxtt is on his rebel shit for real, going against the traditional route of constantly dropping music.
“Design” featuring Stoney Hoop is right up my alley with the cool jazzy production. No matter how much good Scxtt does, “Lucy” is always trying to get him off track, but he just stays true and keeps grinding. Planeshift’s own Stoney Hoop pulls up and drops a crazy verse, feeling right at home on the lush production. The track switches up around the mid way point with a metronome over a piano beat, with Scxtt just speaking the truth. The line “I lust after dollar bills, just to keep my mind off the trauma no time to heal” really hit home for me.
“Letters” continues that Planeshift esthetic with Scxtt spitting over some dusty production. Really dope structure to the song, giving off the vibe as if Scxtt’s voice is coming off the unsent letter he sent to the person he is referring to on the track.
“Karma” featuring Guy Average is how you make a song with a message while not making it preachy. The bars are unreal on this track but the standout was “ I’m hoping that you feel me, hear my language through brail.” No matter what detours life throws at you, just stay on track and don’t run any red lights. The end portion of the track was really dope, adding even more to the message of the track. God don’t need nothing but Lucy needs all of you.
I think “Bluumoon” is my favorite track on the album. Shit ain’t going to get better if you just drown your pain in drugs and money. Scxtt is so wrapped up in what he’s got going on he hasn’t even checked on his loved ones. The mid way beat change really did it for me. That boom bap style piano beat makes Scxtt up his game delivering what could possibly be his best verse to date, giving off Nas and Joey Bada$$ “1999” vibes. Scxtt’s mom at the end closes out the track perfectly.
“Sundaze” delves into themes of faith. Faith is a big part of this album. If you look at the rest of the album until this point as a week and then the weekend, it’s like Scxtt has been doing bad all week but now that it’s Sunday he can get right with God. Sounds Annon’s verse has so many quotables . From selling the deacon a pack to having one foot in the church and one foot in the trap, it was dope of he continued the theme on the entire verse.
“Eden” featuring Songbird Shella is an uplifting song. Despite doing bad sometimes, Scxtt has found happiness with what he has around him or his “Garden Of Eden”. That one bar about flicking his wrist and turning lemons to lemonade was cold, as well as the apple bar right after that. Songbird Shella added an Angelic vibe to the song. At the end of the song the metronome and piano beat returns with Scxtt doing his own ode to Jay Z as well as showing his confidence with himself.
“Petals” has Scxtt on some almost spoken word shit. The imagery on this one is next level, some true poetry. The prayer towards the end of the track really gets you in your thoughts. Your imperfections are what make you not what break you.
The project closes out with the soulful “Magic”. I really dug all the No.1 pick references in the track from Kyler Murray to Cam Newton. Scxtt is really talking that shit on this one, putting all his doubters on notice. When that lush sax and the drums come in towards the end of the track it really is magic.
Scxtt Aye more than delivered on “Doves”. From the conceptual way you can look at the album to the relatable themes on each song. It’s hard for artists to make more faith based concepts relatable to me but Scxtt did it. This project might not click with some of y’all off rips but once they do, your gonna be like yo this the best shit I’ve heard all year. If Scxtt Aye is Tampa’s Hip Hop Urban Legend, then I’m hear to tell you the legend is true. This is what it sounds like when doves fly.