3 out of 5

Produced by: Various

Label: Stophouse Music Group

Oh, dear Prof; how dare you be so talented?  At 25, declaring himself King Gampo (the latter apparently a term denoting much badassness) via the same-titled release, and frankly, I can’t argue.  However close to the truth his foul-mouthed bragadoccio persona may be, he pulls it off with such slap-dash goofiness (and notes of self-awareness) that you can’t help but laugh at his claims of greatness and sexual conquests, despite yer general disdain for such low-brow topics.  But what edges it over the top is the backing skills: Prof’s Stophouse club produces a range of stunningly diverse beats, from club jams to minimalist to tech-touched quirks, while our rapper blends nonsense and crass cleverness to keep the rhymes rolling.  …Not to mention that the boy can sing.

Alas, it must be said that Prof is most successful when keeping that energy and spiritedness high, which is where King Gampo – though make no mistake, this album blows most out of the water – loses traction, in comparison to itself, at about the midway point.

The first half of the album is an amazing rush of instantly catchy tunes and blazing wordsmithery, causing you to bob your head and sing along, half puzzled at references to lamas and then laughing a second later over the bragging and baiting Prof slings.  Now, the follow up disc Liability (when I joined the Prof club) would prove that Mr. P can tackle more serious fare, but he still needs to be center stage, outlandish and carrying the beat.  On Gampo, we get a string of more “focused” songs in the album’s middle (Karma, Myself) which, though excellently produced and by no means bad tracks, don’t stand out against their forerunners, nor do they make the most of Prof’s abilities.  Spread out across the disc it wouldn’t be as noticeable, but the odd decision to stick them together drags things down.  Some momentum is regained toward the end, with On My Way, but it feels a bit undercooked, and followups Need Your Love and Blimp have very radio-familiar backing beats.

The takeaway is that any of these tracks would be totally respectable on some platinum selling rap artist’s latest crapterpiece, but Prof sets his own bar way high at album’s start, setting up an inevitable comparison.

Fans sincerely wont be disappointed, as the whole first half is a must-listen, and new listeners are still in for a treat… as is anyone upon first Prof exposure.