Lost amongst the shuffle and bustle of the New York skyline, Stryke boasts of being a self-acknowledged suburban rapper promising to “bring you hip-hop from the flip side.” His first attempt, “Time For A Change,” presents an EP chock-full of contradictory tracks that present Stryke as being interesting and repetitive at the same time. What does Stryke bring to the hip-hop game? What does he have to offer?

“I’m from the ‘burbs of Lindenhurst, But I’m so broke, I got a car that won’t even drive in reverse,” Stryke raps on the intro cut, “Out Your Mind.” Paired with fellow suburb-dweller Gravity, the duo use an eerie piano-twanged beat to unleash a plethora of hard-hitting but nicely flowed battle-type words.

Elsewhere though, Stryke goes it alone, as both “Game Over” and “Diamond in the Rough” see Stryke going it solo as he tells the tales of he himself having terribly bad luck with relationships. Both are as depressing as they are intriguing, as Stryke avoids the run-down and mundane topics of other underground acts to instead focus of using the microphone as an outlet.

The manic-depression thoughts only persist on “Distance,” a track that sees Stryke strike-out in his efforts to win the battle against the outside world (“If life’s a dice game, then I’m down on my luck.”) For as depressing as some of his material sounds, Stryke’s passion and on-going battles within himself make for dramatic entries in his hip-hop journal.

The “Time For A Change EP” reaffirms a growing trend in the world of hip-hop. Almost anyone can get onto the microphone, spit a few lines, and find a way to release material out into the world. But for suburban rapper Stryke, his forthcoming and honest manner at least deserves a few spins in an already-overcrowded scene. When it’s time for a change from the usual, think Stryke – but don’t forget a trusty box of Kleenex and your therapist’s phone number.

Visit http://www.starrecordings.com/disc/ for more information on purchasing Stryke’s “Time for A Change EP.”