Sy ShacklefordMuch like Kanye West, Dilated Peoples emcee/producer Evidence began his solo career with a specific theme. For Mr. West’s first three albums, there was his school dropout bear mascot and a tongue-in-cheek take on education. For Evidence, his first three albums were tied together by a meteorological theme, specifically the weather. Since 2021, he’s adopted a new motif: Unlearning. He may have undergone some personal growth, but not in the sense of forgetting old ways of doing things, but rather discarding them for good. With his fifth album and the second in his “Unlearning” series, Evidence takes listeners on an audio journey to show them just how he got to where he is now. The whole album is shy of being exactly thirty-seven minutes long, and no track exceeds four minutes. Additionally, Evidence made use of little to no hooks, seemingly undertaking a more-is-less approach to this project.
The album begins with the Sebb Bash-produced “Plans Change”, which has the feel of a low-key jazz number as Evidence makes his presence known. On “Different Phases”, Beat Butcha & Coop the Truth create a psychedelic atmosphere as Evidence makes a sly reference to past albums: “In the rain, I never read the rules to what the game is”. Larry June is the first guest rapper on the album, appearing on “Future Memories”. It contains samples of a jazz fusion comprised of saxophone and piano notes (courtesy of The Alchemist), but nonetheless head-nodding. Mr. June shares Evidence’s preference for the monotone, albeit with a deeper voice. “Seeing Double” made me rewind to the opening the verse because of just how hard Evidence’s first four bars were: “I’m not here for a seal of approval / My name is in permanent paint with no removal / I’m about to tell em that they should get to stepping / I’m here to feed my bubble, if not, I get the weapon”. And then there’s the opening lines of the 1995 film “Casino” which begin and bookend the track. The single “Outta Bounds” is Evidence-produced and has a heavy boom-bap feel, with the thumping snares and melancholic melody in the background. The music video showcases many landmarks of his beloved California:
The single “Nothing To See Here” is also self-produced, having a very laid back feel from a looped vocal sample. The Alchemist makes his second appearance on “Define Success”, but it sounds more like a skit, as it has the shortest verse, a piano sample sped up and looped, and it opens with a vocal sample about audiences. “Stay Alive” features fellow Los Angelino emcee Blu over a Conductor Williams soundscape, rapping about persevering through hurt. “Nothing’s Perfect”, would actually be perfect if it was longer than 90 seconds. The beat is both trippy and vintage, and I tip my hat to Graymatter for it. “More important shit than money in my site to clutch / Letting go of any people I don’t like as much” is a line from Ev’s verse on the self-produced “Favorite Injury”. Along with a mic assist from Domo Genesis, it ties in with the album’s theme.
Evidence is self-aware and lampshades how he’s often perceived (“I’m still original and active / I’m just a minimalist who’s still massive”) on the soulful “Top Seeded” by C-Lance. “Greatest Motivation” is certainly moody and certainly darker than Evidence’s other productions on this album. Theravada’s verse saves the track as the NY emcee seems better suited for it. The next two tracks are Alchemist productions. On “Rain Every Season” he makes an appearance on the mic as well as providing the piano-driven, cinematic background and organic drums. As the music video shows, it’s a Stepbrothers reunion:
“Laughing Last” has a smooth boom bap backed by an airy sample and speaks to how varied an Alchemist production can be. The final track “Dutch Angle” by Q-Three, is also the final single, and features a longer-than-usual Evidence verse. It also encapsulates the album’s motif. Both “Unlearning” volumes feature album covers depicting jigsaw puzzles of aspects of the man born Michael Taylor Peretta. What they also have in common is that they’re are missing pieces. However, the amount of missing pieces have grown gradually smaller between both projects. A completed puzzle may be what’s next in store if there’s to be a third volume in this series. Is “Unlearning Vol. 2” better than his previous albums? No. But does it hold its own at this stage in Evidence’s career? Yes.