Shape

At first, Shape’s production appears to outpace his lyrical abilities, as he unleashes a furious set of borderline industrial-style hip-hop beats, boasting a griminess similar to the haunting and captivating concoctions of vintage Wu-Tang. With needle-on-the-record static behind keys, strings, and clever vocal samples, the soundscapes are immediately exciting, so much so that you might not notice this guy has a pretty sick flow and a flare for unusual but potent similes ("I feel a lot like a lottery ticket that won’t scratch off"). Then again, maybe Shape creates the speculation himself with lines like: “My rhyme style comes second to the ghost inside my beats�. In actuality, he’s solid on both accounts—as a rapper and as a producer—but his beatmaking experiments are, by nature, easier to interpret as “pushing for the next level�, whereas a stream of consciousness delivery seems disjointed, especially when delivered in a nasally monotone that sometimes sounds like a schoolchild calling out words when asked to read aloud. Mainly, this debut puts Shape’s skills on full display, from the dope posse cut “Gary Oldman� (yeah, like the dude who played Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone’s JFK) to the bump-friendly flavor of “Rock Like This� and the geopolitical-minded “Super Heroes�. While Shape can enhance his product by putting more thought into the statements he wishes to make, he certainly possesses the tools to do so when he’s ready. - Popmatters.com

One doesn't usually think of New Jersey and immediately think of great MCs. However, the scrawny, white Jersey boy who calls himself Shape is clearly aiming to put his hometown on the hip-hop map.

Raised Near the Power Lines begins unconventionally with the sounds of a scratchy record player and distant horns. The track lazily flows into "Darkside of the Silhouette," where we first hear Shape's meandering flow. His words are bitter, but he doesn't spit them at the listener.

In the excellent "Rising up To the Top," Shape dedicates the track to Jam Master Jay while denouncing the senseless violence in mainstream rap, pointing fingers at artists like 50 Cent for encouraging kids to adopt the gangster lifestyle.

Shape's lethargic rhymes are very similar to other "backpack rappers" like Atmosphere and Aesop Rock. He also shares the unpolished style of these artists, rather than the highly produced sounds of Talib Kweli or Consequence. There are tracks where he picks up his pace, "Stereo Gun Unplugged" probably being the best example. This particular song is also notable for the line ‘Sometimes I rob like an emotional white guy / 'Cause all I wanna do is open shows for Bright Eyes.’

Periodically, the album has instrumental interludes that return to the record-scratch sounds of the opening track. Seeing as the album runs over an hour in length, these interludes seem a bit unnecessary. The tone of the album stays intact just fine without them.

Shape does a great job of using nontraditional instruments like pianos and horns to great effect, particularly the piano loop on "Something That Could Make You Do Wrong." Without the piano, the song wouldn't be worth noting, but with it, the song sticks in your head.

As stated previously, the album is a little on the long side - nineteen tracks clocking in at over an hour is a bit excessive. With a little bit of trimming, Shape would have an album that could put him on par with heavy hitters like Atmosphere and Jedi Mind Tricks. His lyrics are smart and he knows how to use interesting samples to catch your ear. If he keeps at it, people may begin to turn to West Orange, New Jersey, to find hip-hop's up and comers. - AbsolutePunk.net

Another Division East release this month arrives courtesy of the Jersey City MC, Shape. Raised Near the Powerlines is another unabashedly underground effort with this young MC's unique vision fully on display. After a slow, spacey instrumental, "Darkside of the Sillohuete [sic]" kicks the record off, which features a sample of Val Kilmer from the Bob Dylan movie, Masked and Anonymous. The pop culture doesn't stop there. The guitar-driven "Stereo Gun Unplugged" closes with some classic Arnold quotes, and the soulful "Superheroes" features a cameo from the late Bill Hicks. Is all this compensating for a lack of real talent? Not really, as Shape's rhymes and presence are unique and engaging. - Lost At Sea Magazine