Brother MANIAC

There’s a sweet innocence to Brother Maniac’s brand of rap. Much like Will Smith’s early work -- though lacking Smith’s silly sense of humor -- “School No More” opens this CD with a familiar musical complaint about the drudgery of mandatory class attendance. Although it's also missing Alice Cooper’s celebratory enthusiasm of "School's Out," its common concerns are still a welcome break from all the pimps, drugs and such that fill up most other hip hop.

There’s also a cute “Intellectual Advisory, Intelligent Content” label on this CD’s cover. It’s meant to look like one of those adult content warnings you see on almost every other rap offering, but this music is completely free of gratuitous profanity. Even though he isn’t dropping f-bombs left and right when he's on the mic, this doesn’t mean Brother Maniac isn’t also mad as hell at times. The track “Imagine,” for instance, decries the crime-filled streets of his hometown.

Brother Maniac packs his disc with the kinds of old school grooves that ought to also appeal to classic soul fans. He sings about as much as he raps, and he's blessed with a keen melodic sense. About midway through this fourteen track disc, the CD unwisely includes an interview segment with the artist titled “BM Speaks.” It is here that Brother Maniac encourages listeners to look -- sometimes long and hard -- for the positive in everything, no matter how bleak circumstances may appear on the surface. Although this is an informative CD section, it also slows down the overall momentum of the music. It would have been better placed at the end of the disc, instead.

This CD is titled Conspiracy, but worry not; Brother Maniac hasn’t gone all Oliver Stone on us quite yet. Instead, he uses this track to define the word “conspiracy.” It’s a half-baked song at best, and a poor last note to leave listeners on. Nevertheless, Brother Maniac shows much promise throughout this collection of positive hip hop. Do keep an eye out for this entertainingly maniacal brother.
- Indie Music.com

By Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com

I almost didn’t review this when I saw it was a rap CD. I had a million excuses. I’m too
white, I’m too old, and I have to get to the post office to mail my Nerd Quarterly
subscription payment before it closes. Thankfully, I had enough curiousity to put Still
Rising on my CD player before sending it to another writer.

Lord. Have. Mercy.

To simply call this “rap” is shortchanging Brother Maniac in the worst way. This is
skilled musicianship, blending rap, hip-hop, funk, jazz, soul, and in the case of the title
track, a bit of reggae. The one-minute intro gives you plenty of warning. Orchestral with
a hint of danger. Lush keyboards, a powerful female vocal, a mood of building
excitement. THIS is how you want to be introduced.

In track after track, the music is not just a beat for the rappers to yell over. It’s powerful, infectious, and seductive enough to pull someone like me right in. It helps that I connect
with what he’s saying. I’ve been writing about indie artist for over ten years, and “We
Get Our Hustle On” should be officially designated as the National Anthem for Independent Artists. The lyrics are about street teams, touring, selling merchandise, and basically working his ass off.

I hesitated before I played “Superstition.” Stevie Wonder’s song is one of my top three favorite songs. It has been in the top three since I was a kid, and I just turned 40, and it still hasn’t budged. I get tense when people start remaking songs I consider sacred and perfect just the way they are. I reluctantly settled in to listen.

Again, Lord. Have. Mercy.

I don’t think Stevie would mind. I sure as hell don’t. This is the most soulfully joyful version of this song I’ve heard outside of Stevie himself. Brother Maniac slows down the tempo a bit and lets a midnight jazz groove emerge. It doesn’t feel like he’s adding
anything to the song at all. It’s like he’s simply slowing it down to let us hear another
side of it, another vibe that was always there, but we just didn’t hear it over the horns. He even raps over it without turning it into background music. I can’t wait to play this in my car.

What connected me most of all, underneath the powerful music and glorious vocals of all these tracks, was the positive message. Brother Maniac’s delivery is hardcore, but his
philosophy is practical and wise. The underlying theme of each track is hard work,
staying clean, setting a good example for the kids, and staying close to your Higher
Power, whomever that may be. “There’s more to life than cars, money, and guns,” he
says firmly in “The Ghetto,” and that’s where this suburban middle-aged white girl can
stand right with him.

Well, I’ll only be standing for a few minutes. At some point, if he keeps playing stuff
like this, I’ll have to start dancing again.

- By Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com

Hailing defiantly from the streets of Washington, D.C. comes Brother Maniac with his impressive urban soundscape, The Arrival. To say that this album is a one man show is almost an understatement, as all tracks were written, arranged, performed, and even produced by Brother M himself. And the fact that the recording is so sonic and smooth speaks volumes.

"Dyn-o-mite" gets things rolling right off the bat, as he shouts out propers to metro areas from D.C. to New York, to L.A. to Atlanta. The tempo is upbeat, and the cut’s bass/synth interplay keeps it moving. The mellow rap hustle "Peace Of Mind" follows, but the listener is suddenly jerked back into reality when "Shotgun" fires from the speakers with hood-wise lyrics: "your mother and your brother has got one/your sister and your cousin has got one/all the cops and the robbers has got one". "Choices" displays a funk originality seldom heard other than from George Clinton himself, and the well-chosen words offer a plea to break down the racial barriers, "be you black or white."

Brother Maniac’s use of rap-speak is both intelligent and compelling. The title track is a perfect example of this city-bred prose, revealing a street soldier who is, at the same time, "a man without a plan". "She Wants The Money" is a self-explanatory rant about a certain cash-grubbing lady, while "Break It On Down" seethes with boisterous bravado. Maniac can also dim the lights with cool jazz treatments, as evidenced on "Be My Lady". All welcome Brother Maniac’s arrival, an all-good new entry into D.C.’s blossoming hip hop scene.
-Mark Bounds - Music Montly Magazine

The message was very positive and I think he can stand on his on, especially in Take it light. The beat was kinda funkish and made me sway. Only problem I had with it was his vocals wasn't as crisp as i have heard before and some sentences I couldn't make out what was being said, but I was on my PC listening to a clip. My stereo would be better. I also enjoyed It's All Good & Peace of Mind. God Bless you Brother and much, much success. You'll go far. I like what I heard because i didn't hear all that Profanity. I know good songs can be made without all that cursing. Thank you for that. - www.brendasmith.com

"Most of Brother MANIAC's messages concern weighty subjects such as Crime, Drugs and other Social Ills" - The Washington Post

"Brother MANIAC is spreading positive vibrations via sleek funk-packets filled to the brim with live instrumentation, hittin' lyrics and samples that boom."-- - Metro Connection

What you got, is what we need more of real soul positive rap. Your CD sends a positive message to the community. So take it light and stay unique and black. PEACE. R.Jones - http://uniquelyblack.com/