Carl Madison and company remake the first track from Special Ed’s debut album, Youngest In Charge.

     So the question that needs to be answered by album’s end is “does the addition of Oh No production boost the album?” Yes and No. Yes, Oh No’s production gives GA a much needed lift. “L.A. Confidential” is the perfect example of how GA’s stellar lyricism fit well with the sub sonic thump of Oh No’s production. The signature Oh No production surrounds GA’s description of the last decade of his career capping off with “Here’s a Salt and Pepa line/I keep making records if you keep on buyin” which holds true if GA continues to make songs like this. The pinnacle is hit when Oh No provides a real neck snapper with “Ohh-La-La” where GA and Liv L’Raynge menace the resounding production. The duo rock over the flutes where Liv spits “You think cause I got tits I ain’t got skills/gangsta for this rap shit, spit and leave you ill/Like SARS when I rip through at least 8 bars/I ate about 8 dunnies who ripped they bras/That’s 8 dicks I bounced on and left in gauze/got there cats robbed by about 8 broads.”

     But as mentioned before the production alone can’t save the album. It seems as if GA has sacrificed much of his content when making this EP. Even though it seems to be only a teaser, Grand Agent’s faults still are visible. He still is not a very captivating artist in terms of excitement. His flow remains the same and his hooks border on needing a dose of NoDoze. What made him appealing on Fish Outta Water was his diverse content, which is completely lost in this album. He still has a hard time creating a song and even though Oh No provides some great production, GA can’t find a way to make his lyrics and Oh No’s production into a great song.

     While Grand Agent remains to be an above average lyricist, it seems as if you used make up to attempt to hide a very severe gouge in his art. You can dress a duck up in the finest suit and tie but at the end of the day the result is that it is still a duck, just a little more attractive on the outside then before.   

From the outset you understand that dude got skillz, as GA fans already know. As GA drops gem after gem on “The Jig Is Up” and proves to tear shit down lyrically on “Mingling Goes to Church”. Conceptually GA is concrete with the ode to the B-girl on I need a girl with lines hip hop heads will nod to, case in point: “I need a level headed/ but thorough breaded to bust a windmill and still heart attack a paramedic/… and… /She down wit speed racer, good times, welcome back kotter and C.H.iP.s/Mad vintage from her kicks to cornrows/know how all the 45 king horns go”. Joints like this are what makes you love hip hop and you simply gotta love the fact that GA loves hip hop just like you. There is no doubt GA takes his craft seriously and proves to not waste time and lines on “Release Party” where he will make many a head proud when he professes at the end that “This is my Religion.” He can even get on his soapbox once and a while as he reaches out to preach his gospel on who programmed us anyway?

But, problems lie within Fish Outta Water. Being ill lyrically is established but production and construction of the album is another story altogether. Grand Agent, as dope as he is, has a hard time making a SONG. Lyrics only do not a song make, it also has to employ a beat and a hook which come off novice. GA’s production team overseas (consisting of DJ Chestnut, Mr. Playmo, Droopy the Hit Machine and Hawkeye) give just enough of a backdrop to GA’s enticing verbals to keep you awake. Assistance from the states very own Chops (“What I Want”) and DJ Revolution (“Skillz Philly”) come off a tad better… but not by much. On top of this, dope joints like “I Need A Girl” and “No Rest” are bogged down by horrid hooks. Add this to way too much narrative in between songs and you have an album which at time is a blink away from putting it to rest, save GA’s skills lyrically.

Listeners who are out for a good lyrical stimulant need not to look further than this album. But this is not just a game of dope lyrics, if so, you need to look no further than your street corner to catch rap fiends demonstrating their abilities in heated freestyle sessions. Today’s game is making songs and music where Fish… is lacking. In the end GA’s second release proves the title true, Grand Agents vocals compared to his production are just that, a fish outta water.

      But don’t let the self-comparison to Jigga fool you, Grand Agent is his own emcee, and more so his own person. By no means is he trying to emulate the sound of any other rapper, as his style is completely his own the only similarity to Jay is a clever sense of subtle wordplay that only reveals itself after consecutive listens. His voice, delivery, style, and overall calmness on the mic are qualities that all belong to the Agent alone.

       He can be best described as a rapper’s rapper he takes himself seriously, he’s very unpredictable in his rhymes, has an underlying sense of wit and intellect, not mention gorgeous picture painting abilities. Unfortunately, these qualities are appreciated by few, but will remain overlooked by many. But your favorite rappers have taken notice, and show no shame in tag teaming with him, as he trades rhymes with the likes of Lord Finesse ( “Know The Legend” ), A.G. ( “Rap Niggaz” ), and Planet Asia ( “It’s Only Right” ). 

     Grand Agent’s best moments are when he’s the most open with his audience. On “You Don t Love Me”, where he speaks out to his long lost father, you can feel his pain; equally so on the painted narrative “Waughter”, which deals with the illusions and discovered pointlessness of a long distance relationship. His love and experiences in the world of hip-hop are also beautifully defined on the Kutmasta Kurt  produced, “Every Five Minutes”, as well as the Hi-Teknological “It’s Only Right” (w/ Planet Asia ).

      Yet things don t go over quite as smoothly when Agent takes the production chores into his own hands. “The Man Who Would Be King” suffers from one of the worst hooks of the year – a b-boy flip on Yuletide classic “Joy To The World”, which is embarrassing as it is awful. Other moments of boredom include the misogynistic “Two Bitches” , as well as the somewhat sleepy intro, “From The Gate” Let it be known that none of these tracks are particularly bad lyrically – they just lack quality production.

     Which pretty much sums up the entire album, despite sliding by with tracks from the more experienced producers (M-Boogie, Chops of Mountain Bros., Lord Finesse, Kurt, Tekzilla). Make no mistake, Agent is a dope emcee, but as far as making songs, he just needs to learn to harness his talent and tighten things up musically if he wants to breakthrough and catch a dedicated following. In a wounded moment, he wonders on “Waughter”: “What the fuck am I still rhymin for / If I ain t blow yet, I must got bad timing, or / It ain t for me / could that possibly be?” Grand Agent can rest easy in the fact that he was meant to rhyme, but if he aspires to be in the position Jay-Z is in now, he must continue to perfect his craft, not giving up because of minimal independent sales, average critical response, or worst of all, a broken heart. Keep on, G.A.