Freedom or Sort Of: Focus... - Music of the Misinterpreted
Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2011 by Fashion Munx in Labels: Focus..., Freedom or Sort Of, hip hop
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In 2001, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label signed New York transplant producer/MC Focus.... Never heard of him? Well Focus... put in work on projects like The Wash soundtrack and albums by Truth Hurts and The Game but he never released so much as a single with the label and after hearing his 2011 mixtape/album Music of the Misinterpreted it is easy to see why.
If you are familiar with the hardcore, commercial and gangsta rap that Aftermath Entertainment is known for (Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, The Game, Busta Rhymes etc.), it would be understandable that Focus...' style would be a hard one to market for the label. Rather than hardcore rhymes, Focus... seems to favour lyrics more a long the lines of the everyman and beats that are soulful rather than glossy club bangers or dark soundtracks for drive-bys. While Focus... is a more than capable MC that can hold his own with guests like Phonte and Big Pooh (formerly of Little Brother), the fantastic beats are what Dre saw and is easy for us to hear on Music of the Misinterpreted. The beats are so good in fact, that while you can get Music of the Misinterpreted as a free download, Focus... is selling an instrumental version of the album on a PWYC scale of a minimum of 2 bucks. The instrumentals cost more! So always enjoy and if you have a few dollars toss them Focuss...' way.
