Season of the Assassin

Though he has been a stalwart of the New York City underground rap circuit for over 15 years, *Season of the Assassin* marks the official solo debut of Sicilian-American rapper Vincent Luvineri. Vinnie Paz has always excelled at playing the underdog — more specifically, he thrives as a voice of the disenfranchised, the enraged, the paranoid. While many current New York rappers perform with a chip on their shoulder, there is nothing defensive about *Season of the Assassin*. Paz is always on the attack, his sputtering, take-no-prisoners flow unleashed without regard for current tastes or trends. In an era of “Louis Vuitton Dons,” Paz has the manner of a junkyard dog, and he raps with all the civility of a street fighter. Still, the second verse of “Monster’s Ball” alone should prove why he has lasted 15 years in a competitive industry. If you have even a remote affinity for rap that smells and tastes like a New York sewer grate, then you will find joy in *Season of the Assassin*.