New Jersey native Kyle Rapps has been on his grind for a few years, working with the Thought Breakers and the Mayhem Poets. The EP Re-Edutainment marks his debut as a solo artist, but this does not come across as the work of an inexperienced emcee. Working with producer Kev Brown and including a title that pays homage to Boogie Down Productions, what we have is a solid set of music that recalls some classic NYC hip hop.

Rapps quickly establishes himself as an emcee that has put in the time and effort to learn phrasing, rhyming, and wordplay. He’s clearly a very bright person who’s aware of world politics, religion, and other issues, but this isn’t some serious downer of a record - it’s plenty of fun. The title of the EP implies this very thing, and it delivers. My only real criticism is that Rapps is a little girl- crazy, which occasionally distracts from other issues. Fortunately, even when he is rhyming about women he is more respectful than most. This is most evident on “Prom.” Granted, it is a little confusing that he chose asking someone to prom as subject matter, given his age. That said, it’s still a fun song that makes me wish I had this when I was in high school.

The production on the EP is handled by Kev Brown, who hails from Maryland as part of the D.C-based collective Low Budget. His work is fantastic, and works as the perfect setting for Rapps’ flow. It’s very jazzy and funky, reminiscent of NYC hip hop of the early nineties. Let’s just say that this EP will get people on the dance floor. If it doesn’t, you’re at the wrong party.

Rapps is set to release his first full length solo album in the near future, and I think the bar has been set high, given the quality of this EP. I’m excited to follow him and see what he’s capable of, because Re-Edutainment is a good introduction.