Back in 2010, CyHi the Prynce entered the spotlight by getting signed to one of the hottest labels around, Kanye West‘s G.O.O.D. Music. He followed that up with heavy involvement on Kanye‘s G.O.O.D. Fridays cuts and even landed himself a feature on ‘Ye‘s masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Since then, despite some reliable mixtape contributions and a couple guest spots on G.O.O.D‘s Cruel Summer compilation album, the Atlanta rapper born Cydel Young hasn’t done much to progress his career despite undeniable talent and the connections to do so.

Enter Black Hystori Project, a smart, socially conscious and downright excellent mixtape that fully demonstrates that CyHi is on the level of his G.O.O.D. Music affiliates like Big Sean and Pusha T. Essentially, the concept mixtape encapsulates a “black history project” as told by a young student named Chance about none other than Cydel Young aka CyHi the Prynce. After Chance introduces our protagonist in the “Prelude,” CyHi comes in to give listeners a breakdown of what they’ll be hearing over the next 17 tracks: “This is black history, so I drop this shit in February/I had to do it man I swear this shit so necessary.”

From that point on, it’s a rugged onslaught of complex bars, crafty metaphors, powerful beats and, yes, a healthy dose of black history. The tape is easily CyHi‘s most culturally invested work to date, with big shout outs going to the likes of Nelson Mandela and Jean-Michel Basquiat over Jay Z and Jeezy. CyHi touches on a multitude of subjects, from Civil Rights (“Mandela”) to the drug trade (“Bury White”) to women (“Guitar Melody”), a range of discussion topics reflective of the mixtape’s executive producer, Mr. Kanye West himself. 

What makes Black Hystori Project such a powerful record is the way CyHi effortlessly applies his lyrical prowess, which rivals that of anyone in today’s rap game, to such a wide range of themes. For instance, on “Napoleon,” a hook-less track where CyHi‘s flow rides over the simple beat with ease, he keeps listeners captivated with fun, phenomenal wordplay: “Flowing so ethical plus I’m cold and poetical/It’s my time according to this gold Oyster Perpetual.”

Conversely, on “Bury White,” CyHi spits some socially conscious bars about the evolution of the drug trade and the violence it has manifested: “It started round 1976/Back when white folks was the only ones selling bricks/A little Mary Jane was the most you got arrested with/They hit you with some charges but it really never stick.” Whether talking his rap skills up or recounting history, CyHi seems to rarely miss a step.

While some of the subject matter may be heavy, CyHi seems to always be having a good time. He has a knack for lyrical boasts and referencing prominent social and religious figures, another practice championed by Yeezus and distributed among his G.O.O.D. Music disciples. CyHi crafts a tribute to Huey Newton, but not without exclaiming “This that God flow, what they nailed Jesus to the cross for/And he came back three days later after he died flow.” It’s a bold claim, but then again, you shouldn’t expect strong humility from a member of the G.O.O.D. Music clan.

A great deal of credit also must go to TEC BEATZ, Sekou Muhammed, and the other gifted producers who worked on Black Hystori Project for creating the perfect backdrop for Cydell Young to spit his bars of gold. The beats range from raw (“Napoleon”) to cinematic (“Mandela”) and everything in between, a spectrum worthy of CyHi‘s Swiss Army Knife-like versatility. An early front runner for one of the best mixtapes of 2014, Black Hystori Project is a big step for a promising talent. Expect more quality music in the future from the G.O.O.D. Music artist, who still has yet to drop a major label LP.

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