The duo of Haysoos and SoulStice, better known as WadeWaters, may be a part of the next generation of emcees attempting to bring hip-hop back to its “feel good” sound, but their debut release, Dark Water, is like a television show that has gone into syndication, “We’ve seen this episode before.”
 
     People complain about major label rappers only talking about guns, bitches and fast cars, but on the independent side of things, why is it that the usual topics of discussion are; “We’re grinding and you can’t stop us (“Rock Solid; featuring Cuban Link”),” “I need a down girl (“That’s My”),” “I gotta’ survive (“Tread That Water”),” and everything else under the Graffiti Bridge? Has hip-hop become so cliched that these are the only issues? Giving credit when it’s due, Haysoos and SoulStice have good chemistry in passing the mic and riding beats, but lyrically nothing stands out. There aren’t many lines or hooks that stick to the wall. The question of how many times a song can be made about, “I’m grinding right now, but I’ll be aight” comes to mind.

    It’s odd that with production by Kev Brown (Jay-Z , remixes on the Brown Album), Shuko (Dipset, Saigon, Army of the Pharoahs), and Analogic ( Justus League, Talib Kweli), to name a few, the beats mesh together with booming bass and big string sections. By the time that the album reaches its mid-point, track surfing becomes essential in the avoidance of the repeated use of the sped up, Alvin and the Chipmunks-styled female vocal openers.

     The positive thing about WadeWaters is that they’re honest. They don’t try to portray themselves as something that they’re not. They don’t try to play studio gangster or portray the hood life.  “Back in Time,” comes off as one of the better tracks. You can’t hate on a walk down memory lane. Opening with an old soul sample, rebellious teen angst and all-night rhyme sessions, helped fuel the hip-hop dream.  “Man to Man,” beings discussing a friendship gone wrong and owning up to one’s mistakes, but makes a transition bringing up the fact that major record labels rob artists and independents do the same thing, “only they call it something different.” Apparently, you can’t trust anyone these days.

    If that’s the case, to play the devil’s advocate, how are WadeWaters planning on putting out their material? Are they going to only distribute albums online? Hey, if it worked for Prince why not? It can’t be denied that WadeWaters have talent, but the repetition makes, Dark Water, a struggle to get through. If they break free from cliched topics and redundant song structures, they’ll be aight.