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"One doesn't usually think of New Jersey and immediately think of great MCs. However, the scrawny, white Jersey boy who calls himself Shape is clearly aiming to put his hometown on the hip-hop map. Raised Near the Power Lines begins unconventionally with the sounds of a scratchy record player and distant horns. The track lazily flows into "Darkside of the Silhouette," where we first hear Shape's meandering flow. His words are bitter, but he doesn't spit them at the listener. In the excellent "Rising up To the Top," Shape dedicates the track to Jam Master Jay while denouncing the senseless violence in mainstream rap, pointing fingers at artists like 50 Cent for encouraging kids to adopt the gangster lifestyle. Shape's lethargic rhymes are very similar to other "backpack rappers" like Atmosphere and Aesop Rock. He also shares the unpolished style of these artists, rather than the highly produced sounds of Talib Kweli or Consequence. There are tracks where he picks up his pace, "Stereo Gun Unplugged" probably being the best example. This particular song is also notable for the line 'Sometimes I rob like an emotional white guy / 'Cause all I wanna do is open shows for Bright Eyes. '" - Absolutepunk.net
"...unleashes a furious set of borderline industrial-style hip-hop beats, boasting a griminess similar to the haunting and captivating concoctions of vintage Wu-Tang. With needle-on-the-record static behind keys, strings, and clever vocal samples, the soundscapes are immediately exciting, so much so that you might not notice this guy has a pretty sick flow and a flare for unusual but potent similes..." -popmatters.com