The first time I heard the name Alias was in a French Writing magazine that featured a review of his masterpiece, “The Other Side of the Looking Glass”. Back then, I honestly did not know anything about the Anticon, Deep Puddle Dynamics or else: the review was just intriguing enough, so when I had the opportunity, I immediately listened to it to check if it was worth. And it was… I went straight to my favorite music store, which obviously didn’t have such a niche product, so much so that I had to have it imported from the UK: almost 30 euros, but it was worth every single cent.
That record represented a constant of my days for a long time, a reference point for my taste. In some ways, it still is today. From that moment on, I always had a special care in (painstakingly, I might add) searching, collecting and listening to his music, despite the fact that, precisely because of my strong attachment to that record, Alias for me always was first and foremost an extraordinary rapper, more than an amazing producer and musician.
Considering the evolution of his career, this preference of mine since the 2002 has found only rare occasions of satisfaction. You will find them (almost) all in this mixtape. At the news of his sudden death, I listened to that first record with great sadness: “The Other Side of the Looking Glass” remains one of the best records I have ever heard.
I have put together every single rhyme Brendon Whitney has done over the years, on his records and on those of other artists. Only very few did not make it to the final selection.
I want to thank Dee Jay Park for the help, for sharing this project with enthusiasm and for bringing it to an end. Above all, we both are grateful to Alias ​​for the great music he has given us all and we want to express, through this small tribute, our condolences to his family.
Even on the other side of the World, someone still is listening and will continue to listen to Brendon Whitney’s music…