Seattle’s Rising Star

Gifted Youngstaz is a talented MC coming out of Seattle, a place known largely in hip-hop because of Macklemore. However, that’s not to say he’s the only one who has ever bubbled or is currently bubbling. Gifted Youngstaz is a prime example of the hip-hop core that exists in the city. He has put together a great project titled Lifestylez of da Prolific & Gifted, so let me break it down a bit.

Lifestylez of da Prolific & Dangerous is a deeply hip-hop project, filled with dope samples, scratches, and homages to many things, but most importantly, to Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous. I know some people don’t love hip-hop samples, and while I can understand that, I’m not one of those people. I really enjoy the samples used and scratched throughout this project. The beats are strong throughout, matching the energy perfectly.

On the topic of energy, we should highlight the star here: Gifted Youngstaz is not just spitting fire but lasers. The rapid pace and the way he shifts in and out of gears throughout his verses is high-level stuff, executed with precision. Gifted has also gathered some great features, including Blu, Fashawn, and A-F-R-O, to name a few. Some of my favorite tracks are “Summer of Violence,” “Microphone Lethal,” “Metal Heads,” “Stimulants II,” “Yoof,” and “Round Trip.” There’s really not much here not to enjoy.

Gifted Youngstaz truly impressed me with this project and made me a quick fan! I’m really glad this came across my plate because it’s a standout project for me this year. So now it’s time for me to spread the word! No gatekeeping here—only lifting dope stuff up, and this is one I’m proud and happy to hold high! I can’t wait to see what’s next from this talented MC.

Standout Tracks: “Microphone Lethal,” “Metal Heads,” “Stimulants II,” “Yoof,” and “Round Trip”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (9/10)