Jeff Chang reviews Rocky Rivera

First off, I'd like to say that I am incredibly humbled that such a prolific Hip-Hop scribe like Jeff Chang was able to review my album. He is the author of "Can't Stop, Won't Stop", which chronicles the history of Hip-Hop up until the present day.

I've decided to post the review up in its entirety as his letter to me....

krish,

i've been listening to the lp a ton since last week and it gets better with every listen. krish, you're incredibly versatile and i love your cool casual knowing flow, it makes an old head like me think of slick rick at his best. but your p.o.v. is all you...and all new (at least in the context of the narrowing world of hip-hop).

for me, the lp sounds a lot tighter than the married to the hustle mixtape. you were much more discerning about choosing beats that fit your flow. it also feels like you've been working a lot on editing your lines, tightening your concepts, and sharpening the persona you want to present. the lp is more controlled. perhaps the next challenge is to find a balance between cutting loose and reining it in. but right now, you're sounding confident, sure, like you're exactly where you want to be. fyi the tracks i'm feeling the most are "ride out", "heart", "trick habit", "grimy", and of course "mrshmlo". i think "girl like me" should be blasting on hawaiian radio right now.

my whole career has been about getting people to hear the stories that need to be heard, and i think your story really needs to be heard. you're making it easy for folks to love. krish, it's an amazing work, congratulations!

with much respect,

jeff