Upon first inspection I was slightly confused by the name of this album. It sounds more like the name of a sophomore effort released after a disappointing debut. However, Second Chances is in fact the debut album by Otaki-raised, and now Wellington-based rapper, Perceive, aka Pera Barrett.
On the whole I would say the album is decent, though that requires some qualification.
Consisting of sixteen original tracks, Second Chances features guest production on over half the tracks, with the rest being produced by Barrett himself. It is at this juncture where the mediocrity begins. Although not bad, Barrett’s tracks exude an eighties-esque synth/drum machine combo, that is, for the most part, incongruous with the rest of the beats on the album. Even without looking at the production credits it is pretty easy to discern which tracks are the work of a more experienced producer.
The length of the songs is also problematic. I found most of the tracks – the majority of which are close to five minutes – to be too long to keep me (and most listeners for that matter) entertained for their entire duration. I found this particularly true in songs where Barrett alternates rapping with singing short hooks. On top of this, the singing done by Barrett, as well as other guests, is generally pretty bad and, in my opinion, did the album a disservice. Most of it was just too weak to be acceptable for a studio release.
Barrett’s rapping, however, is pretty good. At 23 he clearly has significant ability and the potential to be, by New Zealand standards, a very good rapper. But I guess that’s the problem. New Zealand standards are, at times, pretty low. That fact, coupled with the absolute enormity of money and talent in rap and hip hop in America (I’m thinking specifically New York and California) makes it difficult to compete on a level that is even remotely comparable. Ironically, it is on this basis that I found redeeming features in Second Chances.
The entire album was, apart from the guest production, recorded, mixed, arranged and produced by Barrett and I think that counts for a lot. So, looking through that particular lens, I can give this album a lot of credit. That aside, if I were going out to buy a hip hop album, I think I’d still have to go for some real, American fare.
Rating: 5/10