I try to stay away from “reviewing” releases from other local emcees, so think of this as “an announcement with some informal thoughts.” And besides, it’s a FREE release, so we should all know about it.

Big hat tip to Midwest Broadcast; I saw a Twitter entry linking to a new, free EP from Illuminous 3 member Franz Diego and had to check it out. I’ve only played with Diego once, but was blown away by his smart lyrics (and when I say “smart,” I actually mean smart, not just “it’s cool because he’s not talking about guns”), smooth delivery and overall swagger, as the kids say.

Featuring production from Medium Zach, Brandon All Day, PC, Noam the Drummer, the EP definitely showcases Franz’s strengths. An indie rapper with personality, he weaves through each track spitting lines that are at once insightful, honest, funny and original. And his flow is smooth and conversational yet technically precise; it’s a joy to listen to.

A line that I’m thinking about including every time I write or talk about local hip hop: “If you’re only exposure to the Twin Cities hip hop scene is Atmosphere, Brother Ali and Doomtree, you’re missing out something ridiculous.” Franz Diego has been around putting in work for a minute, and hopefully this free release will bring him some more much-deserved attention. Diego also blogs at Cops Can’t Dants, and takes part in a regular podcast at Listen to MPLS.

Franz Diego The FranzDiego.com EP (zip)

Official | MySpace