Everyone knows P-Money's first love is hip-hop. So it's no wonder there were raised eyebrows when the Kiwi producer jumped on the dance music bandwagon with his last album - even if it did produce Everything, one of his biggest singles to date. But, with a move to New York behind him, it's a relief to see Peter Wadams returning to his roots. Gratitude, his fourth studio album, is both a hip-hop throwback and a tribute to the music he "grew up listening to" - and he's enlisted help from some of his biggest guest stars to date. MOP provide typically grizzly rhymes over spiralling DJ Premiere-style beats on The Hardest, Mobb Deep's Havoc helps out on the scene-setter Welcome To America and Pac Div boost the chirpy summer styles of Say It Again.
With so many guests on board, it's no wonder Gratitude lacks lyrical cohesion. But what holds it together is P-Money's laid-back beats - which show growing maturity - and some standout performances from several Kiwis, like @Peace's stunning softly spoken vocals on Finding God, and Aaradhna's soaring delivery on Celebration Flow, which is rounded off by a near-perfect Talib Kweli verse. Who but P-Money could bring those two together on the same track?
Stars: 3/5
Verdict: Kiwi producer pays tribute to his heroes
Click here to buy Gratitude by P-Money.
- TimeOut
