Lights Out Paris was one of my favorite releases of 2005, but as the Doomtree crew only has so much time and money on their hands, they rotate members' releases. Thus, it's taken Sims until 2009 to release a False Hopes (the Doomtree version of a mixtape). On #14, Sims has ten new songs to show his growth as an artist. It's less angry and more literate than its predecessor, and feels more diverse.
This time around Sims raps about his new job, his crew, politics, and even literature. The primary difference is that his beats (supplied by varied Doomtree members) have gotten more varied and more musically inclined, mixing in more hints of melody behind the bass. For the most part, though, this is a mixtape and the tone is back and forth and less serious. "Rap Practice" is a dancey beat with rambling subjects and wink-wink braggadocio, while "Pay No Mind" mines familiar political themes with lines like "land of the xenophobe." There are a few songs that stand out on here, but it sounds exactly like what it is: a precursor to a proper release, and lacks the cohesion.
