It wasn't too long ago that the man formerly known as Kool Fashion abandoned the "fuck, drink and smoke" ethos of the Beatnuts, renamed himself Al Tariq, and reemerged with the metaphysical stylings featured on his slept-on God Connections debut LP. Named after his crew of homies who also appeared on the disc, with standout tracks like "Spectacular" and "Crime Pays," God Connections figured to establish Al Tariq as someone to be dealt with seriously within the music industry. Still, it wasn't until last year, when Tariq, along with his boys Problemz and Black Attack, released the buttery 12-inch "M.I.A.," that heads really began to take notice, thus leading to the union of the Missin' Linx.
What may be most peculiar about Tariq and company's six-song debut EP, Exhibit A, is its seemingly Beatnuts-inspired methodology: smoking beats with trivial rhymes. And while each of the Missin' Linx trio have previously shown that they are capable at being adept on the mic, on Exhibit A, the art of mundane lyricism takes on new heights.
In "Ain't Nuthin'," Adam 12's reprogramming of syn-drums and electric piano makes for an intoxicating blend of palatable sonic diffusion that yearns for, at the very least, some pleasant wordplay. But when Problemz asserts: "I'm that nigga never to be slept on/That nigga that you crept on/But never again/I run with felons/That tote weapons and automatic artillery/Shitting on niggas like Bill did to Hillary," you're left hoping that wannabe MC's across the land don't hear this claptrap and start thinking about quitting their bike messenger jobs. But aside from the somewhat sluggish "That's That," the rest of the tracks pack such stealthy bite, that you probably won't mind the feeble rhymes.
Cuts like the Necro-laced "What It Is" bumps with its friendly bassline, while the rumbling tones of "Family Ties" brings hearty swagger, yet is thwarted by a hook that should've been left on the cutting-room floor.
All in all, as proven by their past efforts, Missin' Linx can come better than this, so much so that once the quality of rhymes matches the quality of beats, you get the feeling that this triple threat of emcees will more than make their mark in the game.
– Cleon Alert