Raleigh, North Carolina emcee Mez celebrates his 34th birthday by releasing his 5th EP. Appeared in 2010 from his debut mixtape The Paraplegicscontinued to build a name for himself with his debut EP produced by Chrysis The King's Gold as well as the debut full-length My Eternal Zeal & the sophomore tape Long live the king. After a few placements for the 3rd and last album of Dr. Dre Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Drereleased a trilogy of 2 track EPs called Data plan & returns signing to Mass Appeal Records to fade out Loading.
“Yeah Yeah” starts with a downtrodden sample and later those drums that hit you in the face like a pile of bricks talking about just wanting a happy home, while “Humma Time” featuring Childish Major takes the route with bass trap, bending where you can't diss them drip & to get yours. “Call On” shifts gears into boom bap territory thanks to Tae Beast telling his significant other that he's still the one calling just before the soulful “Hot Spot” featuring Isaiah Rashad talking about still being connected when they're gone .
MAVI & SAINt JHN join Mez on 'Bat Phone' bring back the kicks and snares mixed with a mocking sample explaining how they got rich leading up to 'Devil is a Judge', keeping the boom bang wondering if Satan is really the judge or not. Finally, the closing track “Around the World” comes to a close. Loading on a smoother note that dedicates it to every south side around the world.
There is no doubt in my mind about that Loading will only lead to an upcoming sophomore LP, especially after returning from a 4-year hiatus to land the Mass Appeal deal, and I'm sure it'll be Mez's strongest studio album to date, especially now that you have Loading is almost as good as The King's Gold. He joins forces with both guests and producers who share his playful sense of soulful musicianship and dedication to the grind foreshadowing something bigger to come.
Rating: 7/10
