TyBox

I first met Tyson “TyBox” Harris at an MC battle in Chico. The Ukiah-born rapper rocked his Rahzel-esque gimmick, mixing verbal scratches and cuts in with his freestyle. His lyrics stuck out with both astute observations and comical punch lines that consistently kept him in the upper echelon of local battle rhymers. He has also showed an uncanny work ethic to match his talent. Idol Hands is the full-length follow-up to his 2009 EP Acheivement Unlocked. “The Process,” the new album’s opening track, produced by Moonshine crewmember Ge, sounds like a velvety DJ Premiere beat. Making multiple mentions of his home county (“I’m from Mendo, have you ever heard of it?”), TyBox oozes the 707 influence throughout Idol Hands . Illustrating that Mendo swagger with lyrics like: “I guess I have that crack rap that cats lack/ I crash Nasdaq and mad dash for fat sacks/ matter of fact, pass that and I’ll pass back/ so clean up your act and catch that bad rash this rat trash habitat is known to dispatch.” “Nothin 2 Prove,” produced by Lak da Vinci and featuring Chico MC Tsunami, is by far my favorite on the album. It showcases TyBox’s beatboxing, and the duo’s homage to Bay Area MC duo Latyrx (Lateef and Lyrics Born) on the track is nothing short of brilliant!