Hailing from the seminal Quannum Crew (home to fellow Hip-Hop innovators Blackalicious and DJ Shadow), Bay-Area rapper/producer Lyrics Born has been making creative, mind-bendingly original Hip-Hop for nearly two decades.  Known for his rapid-fire, articulate flow (imagine a faster, smarter, more clever Twista) and his originally-produced funk infused beats, Lyrics Born only released his first solo album a couple of years ago, Later That Day…, after a hiatus following his critically-acclaimed days in the underground duo Latyrx (alongside fellow Quannum-ite Lateef the Truth Speaker). Later was a big success in the indie Hip-Hop community, even making its way into some commercials and a bit of mainstream radio play.  The album was solid, consistent and packed back to back with catchy, memorable, clever and relevant Hip-Hop that brought the social consciousness of underground rap together with heavy funk that dared you to get down and dance.  Hence, expectations have been high for a strong follow up, only made more urgent since Lyrics Born has seemingly been biding his time by releasing several remix and B-side albums in the meantime (although said releases were of quite high quality all considered).  

Finally, Mr. Shimura’s 2nd album, Everywhere At Once has finally dropped, and the results are largely positive. Lyrics Born keeps the many sides of his multi-faceted flow, although here we see a bit more singing than expected, coupled with many guest appearances by his girlfriend Joyo Velarde on guest vocals.  The rapping is in top form, switching back and forth between half sung, half screaming boasts, under-the-breath ranting, and rapid-fire delivery. Lyrically, Lyrics Born keeps the topics generally diverse, exploring both social issues, party themes, and general Hip-Hop boasting.  One gets the sense that if Later That Day… was about presenting the multiple sides of the MC’s personality, Everywhere at Once is mostly about the party, with some exceptions.  On the beat side of things, the stripped-down funk of before has been quite embellished by a heavier production style that combines studio beats with live instrumentation.  This approach usually works here, although occasionally the beats feel a little schmaltzy and overproduced.  However, when its on, its on; the more intricate production style at its high moments allows Lyrics Born and guests to push the boundaries of underground Hip-Hop into new realms that are very funky and catchy, in a brand new way.  Besides overproduction at certain moments, Lyrics Born only falters when he falls back on played-out Bay Area/Hyphy clichés in his lyrics; his use of occasional Hyphy slang seems to be a new development since the mainstream breakthrough of that genre (which this is doesn’t seem to fall under).  Even though it is probably an attempt at identifying with the greater Bay Hip-Hop scene, it seems slightly suspect.  Overall though, Everywhere At Once is a solid, fun, creative follow-up that grows on you with every listen.  Lyrics Born has shown himself able to stay largely true to his roots while pushing the boundaries of a genre that is truly in need of it.  

Grade: A-

Reviewed by Nick Handman