Manifest is the opening track to Karsh Kale’s forthcoming album, Broken English, and while I am eager to hear more this track is leaving me a tad less enthused. It sounds a little to rote for my tastes, as if Kale is just going through the motions: splash of Bollywood inspired beats and ballad as backing, topped off with some very flat and unmemorable rhyming from who I am guessing is MC Napoleon. Honestly, it sounds like he was just messing around in Garage Band making sketches.

Which brings me to the inclusion of rap on these types of albums. Sure, co-opting Hip Hop rhythms and breaks is fine but does it really necessitate the use of rappers to flesh it out or provide some sort of street credibility? To be blunt it makes it sound contrived and ultimately detracts from the overall artistry making it sound more like a advertisement for chicken soft tacos than a piece of work one would sit up and take notice of. Just drop it. Rhymes without reason just make you sound like you are composing by focus group; C+C Music Factory and Freedom Williams, anyone?

Even with this weak of a showing I still plan on picking up the album: one, because it is Karsh Kale and I know what he his capable of; and two, because it is Six Degrees and I’m a junkie. You can snag the track for free over at Six Degree Records and have a listen for yourself.