All the urban Nietzsches running around screaming that “Rap is dead” have been listening to the wrong MCs. In “Fall FWD,” YC the Cynic (featured in out Best NYC Emerging Artists on 2010 list) stands up and refutes the mob of naysayers with his signature patterns of potent poeticism. With a voice that conjures a blend of Mos Def and Q-tip, YC croons “Truthfully, I don’t let that ish influence me. It’s not cool to be cold, it’s not in to be G, it’s all bitches and hoes, there’s no intimacy till I enter the scene.” It’s a running theme in the mixtape, that ability and integrity transcend both time and genre. Building on the sturdy shoulders of last year’s “You’re Welcome” mixtape, “Fall FWD” raises the bar in every aspect and will undoubtedly generate substantial hype for his upcoming album, “The Spectacle.” In the closing track, he sums up his ethos proclaiming confidently, “I know mad cats that have had it with rap, but incidentally, soon as I got their attention they were listening intently.” Celebrate the release at Southpaw tonight (Tuesday, March 1). – Broke MC