Fresh to Def is the debut solo album from Leslie Mampe aka Da L.E.S (Leslie Equals Success). It features 13 tracks with guest appearances from Tekneek, Maggz, L-Tido, Cook and Bongz . Born in the US in Washington and based in Johannesburg, LES is on the move to claim his crown amongst hip hop's elite.
Da L.E.S forms one third of award winning hip hop crew; Jozi of muthaland crunk fame. On his solo, L.E.S teams up with producer and fellow Jozi partner, Bongani Fassie to deliver a different but pleasant sound that’s easy to listen to.
Over slick beats, L.E.S aims at convincing everyone that he is the undisputed king of local hip hop, women, money, style and anything you can define as ‘fly’. The strong part however is his rhythmic flow rather than the lyrical content. Songs to be on the lookout for on this album are “We are on fire”, “Candy” “Respect” and the title track itself “Fresh to Def”.
We all know how fickle the music industry and its consumer can be when it comes to genres like hip hop, but I am glad that LES tried to put together an album that can also appeal to the international market.
Although the album is filled with quality tracks there isn’t much to highlight as extraordinary. Simply put, Fresh to Def is a fine kick-off into Da L.E.S’s catalog. Some hip hop heads have doubted LES’s future in the industry citing the type of sales the genre attracts but I think he just needs to push a little harder and come up with something more competitive and appealing to the pocket.
While it doesn’t reach the lofty goals of its title, it’s still a solid disc that establishes Da L.E.S’s talent and gives him a solid foundation to build on.
Cover/Art: 4/5 | Sound/Technical: 4/5 | "I like it factor": 7/10 MIO Rating: 7.5/10
| City: | Johannesburg, LES, Washington |
| Country: | United States |
| Music Album: | Candy, Def, Respect, We Are On Fire |
| Person: | Bongani Fassie, Leslie Equals Success, Leslie Mampe (Da L) |
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