By Andrew

If you are a Game of Thrones fan or even a mildly interested rap fan you should probably grab this offering. Not only is it pretty good for what it sets out to achieve, but its also 100% free. Sure I could be cynical and say it’s a marketing exercise (and it is) or focus on the rather pointed reason for releasing the mixtape (HBO doesn’t have enough African American’s watching the show) but I can’t help but admire the thought, because in this case; the thought really does count. Catch The Throne is a purchase worthy album and will keep every fan of both hip-hop and Game of Thrones happy for at least the next couple of weeks while they wait for the return of season 4.

There are criticisms I can level at the mixtape from the get go and one huge one is the cheat sheet style name dropping which features heavily in the album’s tracklisting. Only a couple of tracks really delve into the subject material of the first three series in any depth and a lot of the lyrical content seems heavily focussed on the cliché-like moments such as the red wedding, Khaleesi/mother of dragons and the ubiquitous white walkers. If you have no idea what I’m banging on about, you should probably go watch was is probably the best show on TV since The Sopranos. But don’t let my nerdish tendencies put you off, this is a solid album from start to finish and should make any casual and fervent fan happy to hear others talk so passionately about the story made famous by one bearded fat man who wears berets.

Standout tracks are the exquisitely written song ‘Arya’s Prayer’ by Dominik Omega and the awesome Snow Tha Product track ‘Fire’. ‘Arya’s Prayer’ is the deepest song on the album, with the drilled down focus on the one character Arya throughout the three first seasons with particular attention to smaller moments the casual fan may have even missed. But this is not surprising for Omega, who was rapping about Westeros well before HBO approached him to do this album. Similarly, Snow Tha Product’s track ‘Fire’ about how Khalessi is treated as a woman and how she rises through the use of fire and the steely determination she has to become a female force to be reckoned with is refreshingly feminist. Its almost a standalone track not even related to the overarching mythos of GoT.

Filling the ranks are some other awesome tracks from both underground and established artists across US rap and Reggaeton. Outkast’s Big Boi starts the album perfectly with rapid fire staccato raps across an epic beat. Rounding out the album are the always monstrous rap god Common and up and coming lyrical wizard Wale. Its an interesting choice of people for a mixtape with no real money spinners in the collection but a deep understanding and appreciation of past gods and future heroes of the rap game.

Overall I can recommend this album, but being a fan of both Game of Thrones and modern hip-hop/rap I think this is a no brainer. Its not the most epic album of the last decade and probably not this year; but it deserves a place in the annals all the same. If you want to pick it up, its hanging out free on Soundcloud under the moniker ‘Catch The Throne’.

*** You’re a crow, Jon Snow***

7/10 Mothers of Rap Dragons {Abrasive Andy}