BC is an emcee from the Tampa-based group Red Tide. They had fallen off of my radar in recent years, but one listen to Timepieces quickly reminded me of the talent they possessed. Timepieces: Part 2 is the second part in a trilogy, a conceptual story told from the point of view of a time traveler from the future who has come back in time to discover Pop World. It’s a little odd, but it’s an interesting take on criticizing the music industry.

BC fits somewhere amongst some of your more abstract rappers, like Antipop Consortium, Themselves, or sole. He’s got a fast flow and speaks in an exaggeratedly sarcastic voice. The first couple of songs on the album might be a little challenging in their off-kilter beats and seeming lack of hooks, but BC offers two more accessible tracks with “Bottom Feeder Blues” and “Neon Decadance.” They pair nicely. “Bottom Feeder Blues” features harmonica and J. Rums’s gruff voice singing the chorus, while BC rhymes about lower-class struggles. This is followed by BC and Eyez-n-Powa trading rhymes on “Neon Decadance” examining the ridiculous life of upper class pop stars, where Hammond organ and heavy guitar riffs trade off, creating a sound that could be at home on a Mike Patton (Faith No More, Peeping Tom) project.

I wish that BC struck a better balance between accessibility and strangeness, but I’m glad that both sides came through. The material isn’t the perfect indictment of the record industry, but it’s certainly an interesting perspective. BC is a talented, risk-taking emcee, and I’ll take that over the efforts of most emcees any day of the week.