He gained plenty of traction with his debut album Liar And A Thief, though he quickly fell out with the label due to his own money being withheld by Viper. He formed the imprint Warhorse Records in 2013 and began marketing what would later become Fightin Words.
The LP opens with "Diabolical Sound". DJ Premier makes an appearance as a producer as well as on the cuts between verses. It's a very eerie banger that blends haunting strings with impactful snares and baselines. Bolic boasts sharp wordplay and imagination on both verses. While not my favourite on the record, this song is an incredibly strong start.
Produced by Junior Makhno, the second track "Introvert" is a personal favourite of mine. Echoing strings pluck away while various beat drop shuffle against abundant tambourines. While I wouldn't quite classify Diabolics rapping on this as double time, he does bring on of his quicker paced songs here. His affinity for rhyming entire sentences becomes very clear on songs like this. Great hook too.
Our first features come on the third song "Higher". Celph Titled and Swave Sevah. A very whimsical brass section from Junior Makhno builds as Celph opens the track. Diabolic does his thing in the middle and Swave Sevah closes the tail ends. There's a solid hook here and their adlibs remind us of how much fun the three MCs are having. It's also to my knowledge the first weed anthem Diabolic has done. Despite all of that however, it doesn't grab my attention or demand a second listen in the same way some other joints do.
My favourite song on the record is number four "Piss And Vinegar". There's just bars on bars on BARS with this song. The drums are very intricate with slaps and snares shift from being layered together and separate. The verses are twenty four bars or longer a similarly long hook. It's rewarding to memorize and everything rhymes with everything. Great metaphors and lines from start to finish.
One of the bigger records from Fightin' Words is "Suffolk's Most Wanted" featuring RA The Rugged Man. Produced by the Snowgoons, it's definitely one of my favourite beats. Intense strings grind away against persistent hi hats and metallic snares. RA starts the track balancing his syllables with comparison bars and reference from boxing biblical. Definitely one of the top features on the record. Bolics hook and verse bring the title and concept together. They both pick a fun angle to rap and the song establishes Diabolic and Rugged Man as the top scumbags and shit disturbers of Suffolk County. A song of petty rebellion and advanced rhymes schemes.
"Feel Ya Pain" has ENG returning from Liar And Thief to score our emotional section of the record. Bolic is comparing stretching his money to cover bills while balancing the pursuit of his art. He goes on to describe his disillusion with corporate media and promises while also being cornered by custody battles. It's great glimpse into is personal life and morals that sounds similar some songs from Liar And A Thief like "Reasons," or "Loose Cannon". He has his back against the walls again with an even clearer detailing of his obstacles than he's ever written about before. You can hear the evolution. The beat just soars along these high pitched strings and great drum build ups. The beat alone could paint the same emotion as the lyrics. Tie it altogether with a hook that has Bolic reaching out for those in similar circumstances and you'll notice there hasn't been a dull song yet.
Our posse cut "Norman Bates" maintains the momentum with six verses over frantic production from Level 13. Taboo, Locksmith Bolic himself, Nino Bless, Apathy and Coal all bring their most aggressive and vulgar verses they can. Their entries range from psychotic murder to, predatory sex encounters, going on rampages with strong similes and entedres from all. The beats starts and stops, changing drums and has various tempo changes to compensate the syllable schemes of each MC. A repetitive beat wouldn't have been able to handle six verses but Level 13 keeps up the with roster with another one of the albums top arrangements.
"Living In My Head" is another good analytical song. Though the first verse is pretty general, he goes into his own treatment of women and the dynamic of his own relationships. It's great concept of being stuck in your ways despite being challenged to change. Taking aim at people begging for his album release dates is a great reference to the developmental stage of the record as well. Block McCloud brings a great hook too. It's a little similar in tone to "Feel Ya Pain" and though I like the emotion of the former better, there's some motivation to bump this song too. "Living In My Own Head" is, to me, the first point of the record where there's slight repetition.
There's lots of fun to be had with track nine "My Attitude". Our second beat joins potent and rapid snares with electric guitar strums to bring a great vibes of mischief. Diabolic assumes the role of essentially a grown up Bart Simpson. He's petty, out of control and rebellious purely because he know it'll piss someone off. He starts bar fights and disturb shit so much the bank is denying him loans. The song is just a hilarious anthem for anyone never learns their lessons or becomes timid with age. Diabolic acts like he's gonna be a brat forever and "My Attitude" makes it work.
"Victim Story" is exactly what it describes. BP brings some heavy keys and quick drums. Diabolic shares two verses of kids falling into journeys of self destruction after bullying pushes them over the edge. Both the young man from the first verse and the young woman from the second have clear backstories and motivations to drive their actions. I can't spoil the endings but it's pretty heavy and well paced. While it's not the livest song on the record, the heart and bold approach to the subject of bullying keeps this song on repeat.
Our title track hit pretty hard too. C-Lance crushes it with foghorns and explosive snares. For an album such as "Fightin Words" the song brings just want we needed to hear. Cocky aggression hits you across three vicious verses. There's plenty of obnoxious lines and scheme switch ups to make this song a go to for any gym or locker room playlist.
Track twelve "Game Time" invites us into the ring with another couple of features. 5th Seal brings jingling tambourines and hard kicks with boxing bells. There's great lines sampled throughout the hook. I love the roster on this album but their contributions are a little inconsistent. Maybe because Diabolic is the less established rapper of the trio and he raps a bit harder. I've just heard more exciting features from Sean and Vinnie. Still all three on the same song is a powerhouse and I'm playing it lots despite my pickiness.
My anticipation of "A.M.E.R.I.C.A (Truth Part 3)" wore off quick. As much as I like the details and scope of Diabolics political records, this one pales in comparison to Part 2 from Liar And A Thief. I think the beat ENG had the second time was a bit harder and more gripping. I wasn't fond of the hook either this time around. I probably skip this one the most out of the whole record despite the knowledge it drops.
"Here We Go" lightens up the third act with the catchiest beat on the record. Level 13 keeps the loop simple and knocking while Bolic and Coast keep the pace up with their chemistry. I love the third verses where they join up and trade bars too. You can't nod your head enough to this one.
The other Snowgoons beat shows up on the penultimate song "Bad Dreams". Diabolics temper flares as he feuds with baby mams and disrespectful label executives. There's a lot in common on this song with "Feel Ya Pain" but, here the beat is more aggressive and Bolic tackles his opposition with more anger than before. The intense tone keep it from feeling like the same song, however.
The album closes with "Alien Manuscript" produced by Junior Makhno. I'm lukewarm to this song because there's just not as much focus as there could've been. Our eerie instrumental and the alien character scoffing at Diabolic between verses lends themselves to the potentially rich subject of alien abduction or humanities contact with the fourth kind. His verses don't really bring anything that resembles this concept, however. Still great wordplay but, by the time we get to song number sixteen, simply having bars and rhymes isn't enough. There's songs earlier on the record that do about the same thing as this track so it starts to feel like filler.
Despite the four year gap of Liar And A Thief and this album here, it was well worth the wait. Diabolic catches the listener up with his personal trials, outlandish attitude and disenchanted worldview. It's aggressive and loud while still taking the pertinent breaks for heart and humanity. I'd argue that, despite the revered state of Liar And A Thief, Fightin Words has a leg up as the stronger record. The bars never take a break and Diabolic is analyzing himself and the world around him with more clarity than before.
Pros: Fightin Words recruits a great number of Diabolics friends old and new, and the records length sits comfortably at just over an hour. Diabolic sharpens his song structure while still giving us a lot of the freestyle like verses we've come to expect. I think even despite its sometimes repetitive subject matter, it successfully surpasses the quality of Liar And A Thief. There's more than a couple of memorable beats as well.
Cons: Diabolics cocky attitude wears slightly thin as the record goes on. The split between storytelling and ignorance can be jarring from song to song as well. I still can't help but feel we could've trimmed a song or two.
Our first features come on the third song "Higher". Celph Titled and Swave Sevah. A very whimsical brass section from Junior Makhno builds as Celph opens the track. Diabolic does his thing in the middle and Swave Sevah closes the tail ends. There's a solid hook here and their adlibs remind us of how much fun the three MCs are having. It's also to my knowledge the first weed anthem Diabolic has done. Despite all of that however, it doesn't grab my attention or demand a second listen in the same way some other joints do.
My favourite song on the record is number four "Piss And Vinegar". There's just bars on bars on BARS with this song. The drums are very intricate with slaps and snares shift from being layered together and separate. The verses are twenty four bars or longer a similarly long hook. It's rewarding to memorize and everything rhymes with everything. Great metaphors and lines from start to finish.
One of the bigger records from Fightin' Words is "Suffolk's Most Wanted" featuring RA The Rugged Man. Produced by the Snowgoons, it's definitely one of my favourite beats. Intense strings grind away against persistent hi hats and metallic snares. RA starts the track balancing his syllables with comparison bars and reference from boxing biblical. Definitely one of the top features on the record. Bolics hook and verse bring the title and concept together. They both pick a fun angle to rap and the song establishes Diabolic and Rugged Man as the top scumbags and shit disturbers of Suffolk County. A song of petty rebellion and advanced rhymes schemes.
"Feel Ya Pain" has ENG returning from Liar And Thief to score our emotional section of the record. Bolic is comparing stretching his money to cover bills while balancing the pursuit of his art. He goes on to describe his disillusion with corporate media and promises while also being cornered by custody battles. It's great glimpse into is personal life and morals that sounds similar some songs from Liar And A Thief like "Reasons," or "Loose Cannon". He has his back against the walls again with an even clearer detailing of his obstacles than he's ever written about before. You can hear the evolution. The beat just soars along these high pitched strings and great drum build ups. The beat alone could paint the same emotion as the lyrics. Tie it altogether with a hook that has Bolic reaching out for those in similar circumstances and you'll notice there hasn't been a dull song yet.
Our posse cut "Norman Bates" maintains the momentum with six verses over frantic production from Level 13. Taboo, Locksmith Bolic himself, Nino Bless, Apathy and Coal all bring their most aggressive and vulgar verses they can. Their entries range from psychotic murder to, predatory sex encounters, going on rampages with strong similes and entedres from all. The beats starts and stops, changing drums and has various tempo changes to compensate the syllable schemes of each MC. A repetitive beat wouldn't have been able to handle six verses but Level 13 keeps up the with roster with another one of the albums top arrangements.
"Living In My Head" is another good analytical song. Though the first verse is pretty general, he goes into his own treatment of women and the dynamic of his own relationships. It's great concept of being stuck in your ways despite being challenged to change. Taking aim at people begging for his album release dates is a great reference to the developmental stage of the record as well. Block McCloud brings a great hook too. It's a little similar in tone to "Feel Ya Pain" and though I like the emotion of the former better, there's some motivation to bump this song too. "Living In My Own Head" is, to me, the first point of the record where there's slight repetition.
There's lots of fun to be had with track nine "My Attitude". Our second beat joins potent and rapid snares with electric guitar strums to bring a great vibes of mischief. Diabolic assumes the role of essentially a grown up Bart Simpson. He's petty, out of control and rebellious purely because he know it'll piss someone off. He starts bar fights and disturb shit so much the bank is denying him loans. The song is just a hilarious anthem for anyone never learns their lessons or becomes timid with age. Diabolic acts like he's gonna be a brat forever and "My Attitude" makes it work.
"Victim Story" is exactly what it describes. BP brings some heavy keys and quick drums. Diabolic shares two verses of kids falling into journeys of self destruction after bullying pushes them over the edge. Both the young man from the first verse and the young woman from the second have clear backstories and motivations to drive their actions. I can't spoil the endings but it's pretty heavy and well paced. While it's not the livest song on the record, the heart and bold approach to the subject of bullying keeps this song on repeat.
Our title track hit pretty hard too. C-Lance crushes it with foghorns and explosive snares. For an album such as "Fightin Words" the song brings just want we needed to hear. Cocky aggression hits you across three vicious verses. There's plenty of obnoxious lines and scheme switch ups to make this song a go to for any gym or locker room playlist.
Track twelve "Game Time" invites us into the ring with another couple of features. 5th Seal brings jingling tambourines and hard kicks with boxing bells. There's great lines sampled throughout the hook. I love the roster on this album but their contributions are a little inconsistent. Maybe because Diabolic is the less established rapper of the trio and he raps a bit harder. I've just heard more exciting features from Sean and Vinnie. Still all three on the same song is a powerhouse and I'm playing it lots despite my pickiness.
My anticipation of "A.M.E.R.I.C.A (Truth Part 3)" wore off quick. As much as I like the details and scope of Diabolics political records, this one pales in comparison to Part 2 from Liar And A Thief. I think the beat ENG had the second time was a bit harder and more gripping. I wasn't fond of the hook either this time around. I probably skip this one the most out of the whole record despite the knowledge it drops.
"Here We Go" lightens up the third act with the catchiest beat on the record. Level 13 keeps the loop simple and knocking while Bolic and Coast keep the pace up with their chemistry. I love the third verses where they join up and trade bars too. You can't nod your head enough to this one.
The other Snowgoons beat shows up on the penultimate song "Bad Dreams". Diabolics temper flares as he feuds with baby mams and disrespectful label executives. There's a lot in common on this song with "Feel Ya Pain" but, here the beat is more aggressive and Bolic tackles his opposition with more anger than before. The intense tone keep it from feeling like the same song, however.
The album closes with "Alien Manuscript" produced by Junior Makhno. I'm lukewarm to this song because there's just not as much focus as there could've been. Our eerie instrumental and the alien character scoffing at Diabolic between verses lends themselves to the potentially rich subject of alien abduction or humanities contact with the fourth kind. His verses don't really bring anything that resembles this concept, however. Still great wordplay but, by the time we get to song number sixteen, simply having bars and rhymes isn't enough. There's songs earlier on the record that do about the same thing as this track so it starts to feel like filler.
Despite the four year gap of Liar And A Thief and this album here, it was well worth the wait. Diabolic catches the listener up with his personal trials, outlandish attitude and disenchanted worldview. It's aggressive and loud while still taking the pertinent breaks for heart and humanity. I'd argue that, despite the revered state of Liar And A Thief, Fightin Words has a leg up as the stronger record. The bars never take a break and Diabolic is analyzing himself and the world around him with more clarity than before.
Pros: Fightin Words recruits a great number of Diabolics friends old and new, and the records length sits comfortably at just over an hour. Diabolic sharpens his song structure while still giving us a lot of the freestyle like verses we've come to expect. I think even despite its sometimes repetitive subject matter, it successfully surpasses the quality of Liar And A Thief. There's more than a couple of memorable beats as well.
Cons: Diabolics cocky attitude wears slightly thin as the record goes on. The split between storytelling and ignorance can be jarring from song to song as well. I still can't help but feel we could've trimmed a song or two.
