Santana Fox Carries on Prodigy’s Legacy With Self-Prod. “Eye Candy” (Mixtape Review)

Santana Fox is a 26 year old MC/producer from New York notable for being the daughter of the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame. She eventually followed in her father’s footsteps making music of her own couple years after his untimely passing putting out a handful of singles up until the full-length debut Girl Next Door celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary this summer. However after seeing that her debut mixtape over here would be fully self-produced, I went into it thinking that she would level up artistically since her potential has already been shown previously.

The first song “Space Cadet” after the the “Wicked Poet’s Prelude” intro begins with kicks, snares & pianos so she can flow like a UFO following the “Hotline” skit, “Vinyl Dust” keeps it grimy instrumentally talking about going viral to spite who used to be her favorite rapper snatching their sound back. “Fight Me” featuring Pohlosweater brings a synth/boom bap vibe to the fold boasting they ain’t seen or heard anything like them & after the “Hypnotherapy” interlude, “Tokyo Trippin’” lusciously clarifies that the drugs do her as apposed to her doing drugs herself & the consequences of her spoiled ways.

Mike Shabb joins Santana on the title track with the best feature on the tape incorporating a darker sound asking who do they become just to make them happy & after the “Sittin’ by the Lake” skit, “Pray4Mine” keeps it rugged talking about always praying for her n***a. After the “Cards Never Lie” skit, the penultimate track “Moment of Silence” featuring Prodigy himself pushes near the end of a rawly asking her father why they actin’ like they owe her something before he leaves & the closer “Count Me Out” closes up shop with some pianos brushing off those downplaying her.

It sorta feels like an EP if you remove all 5 of the skits & interludes but at the same time when you keep them in, it’s more of a mixtape & one that I think any Mobb Deep fan like myself would find themselves enjoying because Santana’s very much carrying on her dad’s legacy in her own way & I’m sure he’s looking down on her proud of what a groundbreaking entry that Eye Candy is in her discography. Her production’s is a cut above Girl Next Door’s as are the couplet of features & her songwriting being kicked up a notch.

Score: 9/10