Speak “Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men” (Review)

Last week, Los Angeles independent emcee Speak released his debut album Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men. Speak has had an interesting career path so far since he emerged on the scene about two years ago. With ties to collectives like Project Blowed and Odd Future, there’s no question that this dude puts on for L.A. As time has gone on, a debut album from Speak has been in high demand. Prior to this, his claim to fame was probably collaborating with different members of Odd Future, and writing the smash hit “Gucci Gucci” for Kreayshawn.

Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men is outstanding. Through hearing a handful of tracks from Speak prior to the release of this debut album, I could tell that he was an advanced lyricist that deserved much more shine than he was getting. When it comes to the album, pretty much every single song is dope. The production is well executed and the songs keep your attention all throughout the album. There is an interesting assortment of features on here from Syd tha Kyd to Tiron and Ayomari. You’ll be introduced to some new artists from listening to this album as well.

Some of the songs that make Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men such a great record are “Mouth”, “ITT Tech”, “Web” Featuring Jack Davey and Tay Walker”, and “Pendergrass.” There wasn’t anything I didn’t really like about this album. You’ll miss out on one of the better hip-hop projects of the year if you don’t listen to Speak’s debut album. Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men wins a 5/5 flies!

Speak and me in Eagle Rock, CA (December 2013)