The Technician’s Yamil Camacho sat with Cesar Comanche in his Missy Ann Studio.
It’s amazing that two students recording songs in North Hall would lead to a future that includes tours across Europe, TV appearances, award-winning music videos and four albums. Cesar Comanche and 9th Wonder, along with the Justus League, forged a solid career. Now Cesar Comanche will release his new project, Die In Your Lap. Fifteen tracks combine to make a soulful album of gritty North Carolina Hip Hop.
Die In Your Lap (the title comes from a Shakespearean quote from Much Ado About Nothing) follows the old school Hip Hop philosophy of making albums, not singles. It contains interludes (featuring NCSU Alumni and international rappers) that connect the album together and carry you from song to song. Like a true veteran, Comanche places the songs and interludes in a certain order in order to enhance the experience.
Once you start playing the album, Cesar’s poetic lyricism (“Ghetto World,” “Mercy”) and inventive beats (such as the energetic “Guf 2,” “Everything”) will grip you and you will not have to skip a track. “Everything” contains a soul sample like many Cesar Comanche’s songs but this one stands since it has a synth and other instruments adding a rich and fuller sound that is common throughout the album, even in the interludes.
The album serves as a celebration of Cesar’s progress. The record has a therapeutic nature, as seen on the songs “What’s Wrong” and “Lamb To Lion 2.”
On the latter song, a sequel to a song found on Cesar’s 2002 Paper Gods, Cesar takes a more serious tone that is superbly matched with his own production. Cesar seems more focused on this album, and rightfully so, since the only guests are in the interludes. That is not to say that the album become monotonous since it only contains one vocalist. Die In Your Lap is a very personal album so there are no dull moments. Even the instrumentals are varied. The album features production from Khrysis, Lord Quest, 9th Wonder, Apple Juice Kid, Marvelous Beats, Science O’Mega and Comanche himself.
The album flows like a movie — it has a very dynamic and cinematic sound. Die In Your Lap rises in tension with certain songs and then transitions to cheerful, straightforward and humble songs. If this were a soundtrack to a movie, viewers would certainly not be disappointed by the score.
Cesar Comanche plans to tour in support for the album. He hopes to perform in North Carolina before heading out and performing across the world. The video for the first single “Hands High” is on youtube.com and cesarcomanche.com. Die In Your Lap will be in stores Feb. 24, but it will be available on iTunes on Jan. 27.
