If you know and love hip-hop as much as you say you do, you’re bound to feel a sense of nostalgia for the music of the 80’s and 90’s. Despite the influx of MC’s spewing out creative (and not so creative) tracks these days, many of us still run our Tribe, Pete Rock and De La albums on the regular. It’s artists like these who have left legacies strong enough to influence the quality seekers of our generation. Enter: Insight.
Insight has been described as peripatetic, a word used in regards to Aristotle, who traversed about to share and gain knowledge from those around him. This too, has been the life of Andre Todman, who at the age of five, moved to Boston from the Virgin Islands, where he began his musical discoveries. Todman took on an introspective, autodidactic means of learning, absorbing completely from the music around him and the culture which permeating it. Considered by some as a prodigy for his earnest and particular habits, Insight now boasts to be one of the few artists in the industry who can take on the role of MC, DJ and producer.
But above all else, what shines through Insight’s music is his passion. Todman’s independent mentality is the result of his ties not just to the music, but its manifested values: creativity, generating awareness, honesty and perseverance. Like many of the more insightful artists of today, it seems his goal is to avert the trends of our current
music industry while holding on to the ideals of the past.
Ironically, this strong attribute may also prove to be his biggest drawback. Todman is not a man of many musical flaws. Chances are, his meticulousness would not allow for it. But it must be said that many of Insights works draw strong similarities to songs of the early 90’s, resulting in a style that borders imitative. The beats behind the song Freedom of Speech Reached closely resemble those produced for Pete Rock and CL Smooth, while Raw Theory shares beats and flows reminiscent of Erik B. and Rakim’s less hard hitting songs.
But perhaps to call this aspect of his music a drawback is an overstatement. In comparison to some of today’s less intelligent hip-hop (Idlewild, anyone?) some may (rightfully) prefer this old school style. This isn’t to say the entirety of his music should be categorized as such. Nor can his talent and passion be denied. Without a doubt, Insight delivers smooth beats, poignant lyrics and an effortless fluidity, all with a DIY style that many of today’s artists cant keep up with. All albums, self produced, including his most recent Blast Radius, are tight, sharp clear works of art. Not surprisingly, his talents haven’t gone unnoticed. Since entering the scene in early 2000, Todman has collaborated with the likes of KRS-One, Mr. Lif, Edan and Big Daddy Kane.
So maybe Todman does come through with what’s required of keeping hip-hop alive. Bringing together original influences with modern day talent just may be the most insightful thing to do. 
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September 21st, 2006 at 3:42 pm
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September 27th, 2006 at 11:07 am
Nice write-up Eva! I enjoyed your analysis. Insight is one of the best emcees out there right now, in my opinion. I got to see him two summers ago when he was touring with Edan, Time Machine, and The Procussions, and I can honestly say his performance with Edan was one of the best I’ve seen in a LONG time (and I go to mad shows!).