Canadian emcee Eternia has been plugging away for several years now, but has yet to make a big splash in the states. Now that I’ve been clued into her talents, I can only hope that her name quickly resonates among hip hop fans everywhere.

At Last is her third full-length, and for the project she enlisted fellow Canadian MoSS as producer. He holds the distinction of being the first producer signed to DJ Premier’s Works of Mart production company. Much like Premier’s work in Gang Starr, MoSS does a good job of laying down a good groove and then getting out of the way to let the emcee shine. Eternia does more than shines on this album, though - she demands to be heard and she demands respect. It’s apparent upon listening to this album that Eternia came up on some classic NY emcees such as KRS-One and Rakim, learning how to mix battle rapping and storytelling into a potent mix. She deftly maneuvers her lyrics to both claim her stake in the music industry and to tell stories about how she grew up.

If I was going to make a complaint about this album, it would be that there is a lack of memorable hooks. The purist in me loves all the subtleties of production, how good the drums sound, how dense the lyrics are, and how Eternia exudes confidence on the microphone. I worry though, that lack of catchy choruses won’t draw in some more casual listeners. Of course I don’t want her to do anything corny, but I think there’s a middle ground within her reach, and I’d like her to find it. We all know it’s harder for a female emcee to make it in hip hop, and I’d really like to see Eternia reach her full potential in terms of fan base.