Comp - The Man With The Hand: Bang-A-Rang Mixtape Vol. 4 (DNA/Round Table Music Group/Bang-A-Rang Gang)

I thought it was interesting when I found out a few months ago that Comp's latest mixtape, which he released in January, was titled The Man With The Hand, because that's kind of like his first public acknowledgement of his left hand, which is kind of small and abnormal-looking. I don't know if he was born like that, honestly I didn't even notice it until a while back at a show, more than a year after I met and interviewed the guy. Not really a big deal (DJ Paul from Three Six Mafia has something similiar and that dude is all over MTV), but I like that Comp is finally being up front about and making it part of his image now instead of kinda hiding or downplaying it, which I guess he was doing before. This has some of the same songs as another mixtape that Comp released last year that wasn't with DNA or in the Bang-A-Rang Mixtape series. But it's also worth copping for a lot of other stuff, including the "Bmore Shit" remix (Comp's verse on that might be my favorite thing he's ever written), and a hot track with Verb from Dirty Hartz and Mullyman. Comp has always been big on gun talk in his rhymes but I kinda feel like he goes into overkill with it on here, so that's kind of disappointing, because I know he can talk about other stuff. You can get it from Comp's MySpace or DNA's site.

Comp, Che'Ray, Backland, Little Clayway, Skarr Akbar, Ogun and Bossman - "Just Us" (mp3)
This is also on Ogun's new mixtape, and when I interviewed Ogun recently, I asked him about this song, and he said it was originally done for his project, but he let Comp use it on his mixtape too. Either way, great posse cut, and I'm always happy to see this many of the best Baltimore MC's getting together on a track together. Usually I like Che'Ray but on this he sounds too much like Bilal (who's always gotten on my nerves).

Labels: Backland, Bossman, Comp, Dirty Hartz, DNA, Little Clayway, mixtape/album review, mp3, Mullyman, Ogun, Skarr Akbar