Few crews can boast the talent that lies within the QN5 family (Cunninlynguists, Pack FM, Substantial, Session, Jugga The Bully, etc.), and at the top of heap is Tonedeff. With 2 EP’s and an LP of his singles to his name, Tone has been killing his fans with his oft-delayed debut “Archtype.” Aside from Andre and Luda, no one can touch Tonedeff when it comes to double time rhymes where you can make out every syllable. It’s a good thing too, cause his rhyme scheme (multi’s everywhere), and content are just tremendous.

While many try it, few can succeed at it. What I am referring to is flipping between bravado and vulnerability, love and misogyny, etc. Tonedeff can do it with the best of them as he has no trouble with his credibility going from the hilarious “Disappointed” to a tale of heart-break in “Porcelain.” Similarly he goes from some light-speed shit talking on “Heavyweights” to thought-provoking message to the kiddies with “Children.”

“Archetype” has its fair share of bangers but it is ‘Deff as an emcee that makes this album so good. Be it lamented on the pain that hip-hop has caused him (“Masochist”), or airing his beefs out with the industry (“Politics”), he gets his point across creatively and with tremendous style. Just check the title track; “the power to listen and learn keeps me adaptive/a Tribe fan that appreciated the classics/but damn if I’m trapped in the past/I act to surpass what they crafted/and still manage to travel the paths and the maps that they drafted.” Of course Tonedeff also happens to be one of the finer punch-rhymers around and he is joined by Wordsworth, Rise, Pack FM, Substantial, Supastition and Session for some “Quotables.” It doesn’t get much better than “I can see your girls got a lazy eye cause she’s seein’ me on the side” or “you have so many guest appearances you made a cameo on your own album.” Or you can just ignore the rhymes and listen to him flow like H20 on “Case Closed” or “Pervert.”

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“Archetype” is not without some missteps though, I’d say the sequencing is about the biggest fault (such as starting out with “Archetype”). Plus he’s included some old material that is bound to disappoint long-time fans who’ve heard it, and of course the failed singing experiment in “Gathered.” Nevertheless, “Archetype” is yet another great, accessibly indy album that should be selling millions instead of most of the shit that’s charting. Tonedeff is among the finest this genre has to offer, people need to recognize.

8/10