’m getting ready to pop in the debut album by Chicago-based MC, Diverse into my car disc player and I must ask myself, “We only live one short life, does this ‘Diverse’ character really deserve precious listening time?” To which Diverse responds on the opening self-aggrandizing salvo that is the first single “Certified”, “Yes young man, I do deserve your time.” “OK, Mr. Diverse” I reply, “I’ll give you one hour to impress me.”

Well, no that’s not exactly how it went down. But every time I sit down to allow yet another MC into my MC-ful life, I’m subconsciously uttering that question. I think that’s why most hip hop artists decide to hit you immediately with tracks that unabashedly list off all their best character traits, as if they constantly compile them into one unending advertisement for their credibility. For most, this is goal number one… to prove you’re #1. I happen to appreciate this tradition. If an MC kicks off an album with a slow, meandering track about how we’re all existentially fucked, as a fickle optimist, I’m going to lose hope (It’s still difficult for me to get through all of The Cold Vein, which is respectfully referenced in highlight “Big Game” with Can Ox MC, Vast Aire).

But if you were just hit with masturbatory rhymes and ego-fellatio, you would probably begin to question an MC’s skills, right? Luckily, on One A.M., Diverse proves himself to be a complex and versatile MC, and, more importantly to sonic enthusiasts, one who happens to be backed by the underground’s most respected producers. Diverse has been able to summon the three kings of beatsmithery (RJD2, Prefuse 73 and Madlib) from all across the country to his Mecca. Where is this prophet from? Chicago. Not really a city known for its hip hop culture. More surprisingly is the fact that less than two years ago, Diverse was delivering mail for a living… and now he’s produced one of the best MC albums of the past year with the industry’s best producers. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a pious asshole. It’d be idiotic prophecy to say that Diverse is the second coming of Tupac… One A.M. is more like a re-translation of, say, fellow Chi-townie Common’s Like Water for Chocolate, a (cough) diverse collection of forward thinking hip hop brought to you by a charismatic and confident narrator.

“Certified”, “Uprock” and “Big Game” kick off the album with a trio of RJD2-produced bangers. By now, RJ has been all over the underground hip hop map, ending 2003 as, perhaps, the most prolific and sought after beat-maker. So it’s no surprise that his style has become rather predictable. He tends to favor cut-up dirty 70s funk guitar samples that he uses mostly to punctuate his chunky beats. It’s a formula that he’s worked to near perfection, and compared to his productions for the recent Soul Position full-length (recorded more than a year and a half ago), he’s still improving. The second single, “Explosive” (featuring Quannum mainstay Lyrics Born), might be his most dense production yet. But, staying true to its title, the track billows with a thick tapestry of beats and guitar stabs sounding like something out of an urban Bond flick.

Prefuse 73, perhaps offering up his less experimental outtakes from 2003’s moody One Word Extinguisher, contributes two of the most somber cuts, “Just Biz” and “Leaving”. “Just Biz” lays down a couple scales of throbbing synths over his trademark skippy beats and a lovely choir of “Oooo”s (delivered by Prefuse himself) as Diverse attempts to explain to his girl why the rap game isn’t a money game to him. It’s all kind of sad and poignant, with Diverse weaving multiple metaphors in and out of the narrative, creating one damn powerful song. And oddly throughout “Leaving”, Diverse even hints at an early retirement (although it’s more likely he’s being hyperbolic as a wake-up call to humanity in general). “To all the soldiers in the movement, just remain strong. I’m out of this piece to seek solitude amongst the stars.”

Hip hop loses a lot of its talent to spiritual journeys of self (Mase, anyone?) but Diverse seems like he’d be more content bringing us along for the ride. Although he dabbles with narrative (best evidenced on Madlib’s contribution “Ain’t Right”), he usually flexes his philosophical tongue, bombarding you with esoteric concepts and metaphors (he loves the symbolism of binary stars). Seeing as he has so much on his mind, he fires it off too quickly sometimes, rapidly dissolving into the sonic comfort of the top-notch production. I wish I could quote some more verses, but honestly, I can’t pick up enough of it. If Diverse is attempting to vividly illustrate his spiritual side, he could afford to slow down his flow occasionally and em-pha-size his key themes. But that’s a minor flaw given the tight execution of this concise, effective album. There’s not one dud to be found on One A.M., and at a lean 42 minutes, Diverse deserves at least that much of your time.