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For over 15 years, Supernatural has annihilated fellow lyricists on stage and in various battles.  He may have the skills to deliver some of the best impromptu rhymes, but can he construct a brilliant full-length album?  According to his studio debut, S.P.I.T., he can.  

The New York native has reached legendary status as an undisputed freestyle master and has shared the mic with other prolific lyricist rap groups like Dilated Peoples and Jurassic 5.  Even though his unsurpassed know-how to create brooding lyrics out of thin air gave him cult fame, his first album may be a stepping-stone to take his career to a totally different level.  Similar (but not totally) to the path that Eminem followed, Supernatural attempts to create structure out of his arsenal of syntax with S.P.I.T. As a clever acronym for “spiritual poetry ignites thought,” his first studio album proves that he does have the ability to create an organized set of cuts.

With the introductory track, “Battles With Self,” (featuring Grimlock) we immediately recognize the MC’s voice and his wordplay wittiness via a metaphorical rap battle against himself. The nuances of a live rap battle resonate throughout the album with brilliantly produced tracks by Jake One, DJ Khalil, BeanOne – just to name a few.  “Guess Who’s Back” delivers a great bout of production with pensive, boastful lyrics backed by scratching by D.V. One.  On “The Show Down,” Supernatural slows things down with a saloon-like piano romp that continues to gloss the MC’s rhymes.

He may superfluously brag about his skills, but he definitely has the skills to back it up.  To stray away from total narcissism, he goes on to talk about struggle in “I’m A Fighter” and touches on social issues in “The Children.”  His lyrics are so fluid that many people may wonder if he is freestyling or reading his own written words.  In fact, many people have accused him of memorizing written lyrics before going on stage.  With this in mind, it is very difficult to determine whether he is speaking from the top of his head or spitting from planned tracks.  Either way, Supernatural’s talent exceeds the boundaries of both the freestyle and written word.

Even though there are some guest appearances by rappers like Chali2na, B. Real and Raekwon, he could’ve stood alone and lit the mic on fire by himself. Drenched in freestyle nuances and thoughtful production, this MC’s debut studio album proves that he is truly “supernatural.” - Dino-Ray Ramos

Download: “Guess Who’s Back” “The Show Down" "Black Opera" "Show Down" "Off Top" "Battles With Self"