Music
Press
[Score: 86/100]
The Management Presents…Radius: Process of Elimination reminds me of the 90’s – not necessarily in sound, but in concept. The 90’s were a turning point; there was a time during this decade before commerce began kicking art’s ass so blatantly. Now artists are left battered and bruised by the sales numbers. Many are afraid to even try anymore, and popular rap music makes this fact painfully obvious. That being said, who’d knowingly choose the losing side?
Radius, apparently. Thankfully. When neither fame nor fortune is the issue, a different breed of rap emerges and true talent is more easily evaluated. The beats got simpler, drums got softer, shit got easy so he started going harder.
“28 Bars Later,” a narrative about the music industry’s lowered standards, is the perfect introduction to P.O.E. It showcases Radius’ storytelling, which in turn mirrors the growing intensity of the beat and makes for one of the strongest tracks on the mixtape/EP.
Radius starts throwing a lot of dirt on “Really Don’t Try,” sounding like someone who is either looking to start a fight, or looking to finish one: “T.I. protégé/ you ain’t got no swag at all/wish that you could ever be compared to one as bad as Nas/though niggas do like you/but you’re Bill Cartwright next to this Michael.”
“Never Had It Better,” is another standout, and listeners can thank B-Stee and Dan Rico for the sounds on this one. The most noticeable blemish on P.O.E. is, “A Star Is Born” – a forced marriage with rap and R&B that lacks any deep connection. No soul and limited dimension.
“Don’t Stop the Fight” and “I Walk Alone,” epitomize the hard rock edge that runs throughout a few tracks. But even with the rock elements, P.O.E. does sound like most “underground” hip-hop albums – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The underground seems to be where most artists are spending their time these days. Hopefully they’re preparing for a rematch.
- Alison Isaac - OkayPlayer.com
Discography
Full Length Projects:
Kingdom Of The Blind (solo LP - Coming 2009)
The Management presents... Process of Elimination (mixtape - 2009)
Radius vs. Just Blaze Vol. 1 hosted by DJ On Point (mixtape - 2006)
Lost Cause (solo promotional album - 2004)
Culture VI - Elite (group LP - 2004)
Singles/Released songs:
Against The Grain ft. The Drama King DJ Kay Slay (released on DJ Kay Slay mixtape and aired on Sirius Hip Hop Nation and Hot 97 in NYC)
28 Bars Later (lead track from P.O.E., full music video coming soon)
I Walk Alone (second track from P.O.E.)
A Star Is Born (track from P.O.E. also released on NJ college radio and other mixtapes)
Poisoned Fetus (track from Culture VI - Elite album)
Photos
Bio
Name - Michael H. Dantzler aka Radius
Date of Birth - December 26, 1981
Born - Newark, New Jersey
Crew Affiliations - The Management, Culture VI
Radius has been rapping since the age of 15. He developed his skills over the years by listening to such influences as Jay-Z, Biggie and Big Punisher among others. He started by writing lyrics and recording songs through a tape recorder and a radio. He then started writing actual songs off beats he got from various producers - both local and online. After enduring a tremendous amount of comparisons to one of the greatest emcees of our time, Nas, for his telling of some of the most descriptive hood tales imaginable, Radius sought to differentiate himself from the pack by combining his skills with one of the most diverse collection of emcees today - Culture VI.
Radius found himself right at home with CVI and has rerecorded his local classic Poisoned Fetus for their 'Elite' album.
After Culture VI, Radius began working on his first real project, an album named "Lost Cause" in 2004. Then Radius, L, and Dan Rico formed The Management. After his expulsion from college, he began working on a project inspired by the event. The Management released this project, the mixtape "Radius vs Just Blaze" hosted by DJ On Point in 2006. After doing open mics and shows here and there Radius took a hiatus, after which he and producer Dan Rico created a sub-project to better promote himself. The project became the free downloadable mixtape "Radius - P.O.E.:Process of Elimination." Since then he has been working on more music with Dan Rico for his new album titled "Kingdom of the Blind due out in 2009.
Links
