Dynas

Queens-bred, Broward-based lyricist Dynas has put out an impressive limited-edition mixtape, Street Skriptures,that unabashedly "borrows" beats and vocals from other producers. Corporate attorneys would call such an act theft, but hey, this is hip-hop. Jacking beats is a 25-year-old habit within the genre, and on Street Skriptures, Dynas does it well. The lyrical content is what matters anyway, and Dynas makes sure to leave listeners with a lot to talk about. This isn't a typical NYC bootleg on which dis tracks about other MCs abound. Instead Dynas and his Badgramma Records affiliates focus on real-life situations and for the most part represent the essence of blue-collar hip-hop. A track like "GBCee's Freestyle," which snatches MF Doom's beat off of De La Soul's "Rock Co. Kane Flow" and aggressively gives it some authentic 954 flavor, helps showcase the rap talent South Florida has to offer. Most of the nineteen tracks on this mixer bang out with the precision one comes to expect from a rap veteran like Dynas. At times, though, dude sounds like he's repping three cities at once: New York, Sunrise, and Miami, which can get confusing. Rest assured, however: Dynas and his crew are on the right path to giving Broward a signature hometown sound. — Jonathan Cunningham