For those, by the early 2000's, no longer satisfied with Slug, Eyedea is an alternative. Having joined the Rhymesayers clique while still a teenager, won the Scribble Jam in 1999 - against P.E.A.C.E., no less - and made it to the Blaze Battle in 2000, the rapper from Saint Paul is something more than just a clone. He proves it in 2002 with his second album, a better one than First Born, the record he released the year before with DJ Abilities and that was a disappointment, apart from anthological songs like "Read Wiped In Blue".
Despite a different voice, and more inclinations towards freestyling, Eyedea belongs to the same category as Slug. He is a heir, somehow. He displays the same mix of virulence and vulnerability. At times he has his introvert posture. He shares with him a tendency for ambiguity and self-deprecation. Also, less fortunately, the beats he uses – his own, on this peculiar record – are often less impressive than his raps.
But anyway, he is a strong rapper who can make do with these and to transcend the beats with his words. Eyedea, indeed, is a master in most dimensions of emceeing, from battle rap of course - just listen to "Just A Reminder", or to "Coaches" with Carnage - to strange ego-trips ("Weird Side") or a bit of introspection ("Soundtrack Of A Romance").
But the art he masters best is storytelling, at least on this record, The Many Faces Of Oliver Hart, Or: How Eye One The Write Too Think - yes, that is the full name. He uses it with ease, with striking lyrics, like with "How Much Do You Pay?", where the narrator struggles with the observation an old maverick is sharing with him ("make money and die, that’s the American way"), or with "Bottle Dreams", the strongest track, where Eyedea reports the vain calls for help of a sexually abused teenager, with pathos but relevance.
Despite the intimate side of his lyrics, Eyedea is adamant, at the beginning of the record, that it is everything but an autobiography. Actually, the title of the album is misleading: Oliver Hart is not the real Eyedea – his civil name is Micheal Larsen – but a new alter ego. This record will not be his Marshall Mathers LP. It is strong and deep enough, though, to look like a personal journal, built on real life experiences. And today, it may still be Eyedea's finest moment, now that his career is over, due to a tragic premature death.