Aaron Warshaw is just another white rapper trying to find his way into the game, right? Wrong. The emcee, who goes by the name of Awar, may sound like a cat who will just become another casualty in this game called hip-hop, but this statement is much further from the truth. With his initial foray into the mix coming in the form of Glory Days, Awar employs some of the underground’s finest in terms of production and guest lyricists to attempt to make a name for himself.

    Glory Days starts off with a bang. Awar demonstrates a natural knack for putting together solid rhymes. “Insecurity Guards” comes off quite nice as Awar makes a statement as a force to be reckoned with. When he and Manifest tackle the mic on the “Don’t Get Caught” it is apparent that Awar possesses the lyrical ability to mic duel with the best of them with one liners like “So full of shit you spit colostomy bags” and “you look bitch like Cam’ron’s pink wristbands with tampons in each hand.” He even delves into interesting territory with “Let My Nuts Swang” which may be nothing but a rant about his testicles, but entertaining nonetheless. 

    Now many may say “Sure the kid can battle but what about making songs?” Well Awar demonstrates that ability pretty well also. When he takes the beautiful production by the horns and delivers his vivid vision of a perfect world on “Utopia”. Here, Awar delivers a song that showcases a ton of depth within the mind of the emcee. Sure, “Feelin Like” may feel just a tad bit sappy with the sing songy chorus, but songs such as “Purple Heart” make up for it. When Awar speaks about a lady who ends up as “damaged goods” the listener can almost feel the pain Awar speaks of. The two movement track blends effortlessly as Awar changes moods throughout.

    With JJ Brown (of Louis Logic fame) and M-Phazes handling the bulk of the production, one has got to be impressed with the results. Whether it be by the hardcore thump of “Gang Initiation” or the feel good vibes of “Utopia” the production here comes off relatively and surprisingly well. Though not a classic album, Awar’s Glory Days does achieve quite a bit in terms of being a new artist. By demonstrating a profound lyrical depth coupled with the ability to make a song, Awar is sure not to become just another number in the infinite graveyard of emcees who just didn’t have it.