Bay area emcee, Motion Man's sophomore album, Pablito's Way, is unusually inconsistent considering the quality of his first album, Clearing the Field. After what some may call a prolonged hiatus, Motion Man dropped an interesting compilation of songs with the def production skills of Kutmasta Kurt. With an impressive list a feature artists, including Kool Keith and the innovative Gift of Gab, one would expect a seamless skill rich product but the album seemed to have a strong start and decrease in skill and meaningful content down a steep slope.
Pablito's Waybegins with a Hip Hop anthem where Motion Man professed his dedication and compassion for the music and culture. He continues his positive theme and delivers the motivational track, "Confidence," where he urges his listeners to be confident in everything they do whether it is a job interview or his performances. His affirmative efforts don't end there; Motion Man then includes the lyrical labors of the Gift of Gab.
The Blackalicious constituent even goes as far to leave Motion Man a sincere message in "Gab Message" where he compliments Motion Man for his skill and their studio chemistry. Gift of Gab blesses a track once more in "One Time For Your Mind" with his speedy, vocab infused bars accompanied by Motion Man's campaign for uncut raw Hip Hop. This array of "conscious" work deceives the listener into believing the rest of the album would follow suit and surely they are rudely awakened but the sudden transformation
The album takes a drastic shift after the humorous skit, "Whoolio Iglesias," and Pablito's Wayseems to be reminiscent of the very emcees Motion Man criticizes in his earlier tracks. "Dat Ass" and "Top Down" serve as feeble misogynistic attempts at club bangers, especially with the supplementary bars of the infamous Too $hort. While the addition of Kool Keith in "Professional Experts" was refreshing and the production of "Sleeping Giant" notable, one couldn't help but notice that Motion Man created his album as if he purposely wanted to convey some level of content and skill hypocrisy. Along with the high pitched Spanish adlibs, some of Motion Man's tracks seemed unbearable while others unforgettable. While Pablito's Wayisn't formulaic in order to gain mainstream appeal, many of his tracks will be in heavy rotation in the underground circuit, giving this rap veteran the exposure he deserves.