Steve 'Flash' JuonI had concerns about reviewing “Good Luck With Your Life,” but it’s not because Spose isn’t a credible rapper to write about. His career dates back to 2008 and (allegedly) he had the artistic chutzpah to walk away from a deal with Universal Records when he didn’t like the terms. Over ten albums and four children later, the Maine man is literally the main man rapping in Maine, man. Nobody else save for Sole has done more to put his state on the map in rap, and for something more than sweet lobster meat. The reason I hesitated is because his Wikipedia bio came with multiple warnings, including that his biography needed more attribution than “self-published sources.” The implication is that Spose may be exaggerating his importance.
For what it’s worth Spose is well aware of his doubters. Even the video for the title track of “Good Luck With Your Life” shows a grumpy teenager going to the comments section of a Spose video on YouTube and typing “wish Spose died, not Mac Miller.” Anybody want to guess that’s a real comment he saw at some point? It definitely feels indicative of the anonymous keyboard rage that has permeated every aspect of social media. Spose and his homies track the kid, tied him up, threw him in the trunk and took him somewhere for an unflattering haircut followed by a beating. The twist at the end is when Spose starts being a YouTube hater himself, dissing J. Cole and Logic, his costume wearing friends see him as a phony and give him the exact same treatment.
Based strictly on the self-awareness the video treatment shows, I’m inclined to think Spose doesn’t need to exaggerate or perpetrate. We’ve already established how few rappers rep Maine let alone have any commercial success doing so, and Spose is not shy about his love for where he’s from or trying to act like he’s too big for that now. The funky bass and horns of “Buy Now” help the song function as a double entendre, getting you to question “what’s real and what’s advertising.” By now we should all know better than to buy now, but “obey your thirst, drink this product, it will damage your teeth” comes first. Those kind of sentiments make it hard for Spose to be a mainstream sellout or a phony.
“We don’t teach finance in high school on purpose.”
Since Sole’s name already came up in this conversation let me hit you with a comparison on how they’re the same yet different. While both are independent rappers who hail from a far flung corner of the U.S. map, Sole and his anticon. brethren courted a deliberately in-your-face middle finger to commercial rap and all its adherents. They encouraged you to follow them down every road no matter the twists and turns because it would lead you away from mainstream bullshit. Spose is a much more traditional rap artist. He’s drinking PBR and wearing boots on “Poof!” This isn’t a Mainer who is up his own ass about being an intellectual elite. No — I’m not saying Sole is. I’m just saying some segment of Sole’s fans (perhaps even me) took being a backpacker too seriously. Spose is down to earth.
The production on “Good Luck With Your Life” is surprisingly solid. I’d even argue that God.Damn.Chan (who turned in a high percentage of the production here) peaked on this one. There’s enough boom bap and soulful sampling that you could see any successful rapper from Weezy to Kendrick to Jay-Z dropping hot bars on it as a single. Despite all the warnings Wikipedia wanted to shove down my throat at the start of this write up, I have to conclude that Spose is the real deal. He was already almost a full decade into his career when this album drops and it shows. He has the confidence of a grown man and the intelligence of a seasoned veteran who didn’t fall off the lobster boat yesterday. Give him a chance and you won’t regret it.