Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Ever since I became enamoured with the output of Washington's Peabod I've been looking for another rapper who could both raise a smile and offer flows that spell out a nerdy persona. Now I'm not quite sure if Ben, or Peabod for that matter, are truly nerdcore but it seems a good enough name to classify these witty emcees with their askance look at the banalities and obsessions of modern life. Ben has been putting out his self-produced releases from his Indiana home since 2013, and I'm currently working through his entertaining back catalogue. This five-song EP is a must play item with a particular favourite being opener, "Shawty Likes My Seuss Collection". If you're not familiar with hip-hop speak "shawty" usually means an attractive female and if you're not familiar with children's books, Dr Seuss was the bestselling author/illustrator of The Cat And The Hat books. Other songs find Ben boasting about his new DeLorean and dreaming about boldly going to a galaxy far, far away. Sung hooks and some clever production all make 'Lyrical Masterpieces' a fun-filled listening experience.

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