Music Review: 88-Keys: The Death Of Adam

88-Keys: The Death of Adam

7.5/10




Acclaimed producer and now artist, 88-Keys tells an epic story of the pursuit of the opposite sex on the eclectic but ultimately lovable "Death Of Adam".

Bookended by a narrative told by an all knowing (female) narrator, "Adam" is a concept album the tale of the title character Adam and his pursuit of a female companion (more specifically a female to have sex with), and details his journey through the friend zone, the first date, and his aforementioned "death" in a twist that isn't too surprising but thought provoking none the less.

As far as the actual album, it's in its own lane in terms of sound, 88-Keys produced the whole album and he has a litany of big time guests (Executive producer Kanye West stops by, as well as Redman, KiD CuDi and Phonte of Little Brother) though it's sparse on actual verses from 88-Keys himself, exposing this album's original life as an instrumental LP. He doesnt show up on "Close Call" with Phonte, and he bounces between singing and rapping with an assisted fuzz filter on his voice; which actually helps in differentiating himself from the guests on the album.

Keys is no Jay-Z (especially with painful lines like "this is a two way street, because everytime i bust my nut you get something to eat") when it comes to the mic, but he manages to put out a purely experimental album that is enjoyable, if not a little juvenile. Not that being immature is bad or anything.