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Zero Star "Forever's Never Really That Long" Artists like Blueprint, Copywrite, RJD2, Illogic and others helped put Columbus, Ohio on the independent Hip Hop map. When Print and his label Weightless Recordings vouched for local act Zero Star, it's one way of saying the rest of the nation needs to keep an eye out. With help from Ree-Dic, DJ Przm and mostly Blueprint on the boards, Forever's Never Really That Long will hopefully take his vision beyond the local grind. Zero Star is a lyricist first and foremost, putting himself and his experiences on the table instead of fitting into passing fads that will never last as the title suggests. Along with the on-point lyrics, Zero Star has a smooth, charismatic approach while he's hitting you in the head. "Hello" is a brief but hard-hitting introductory verse over a Ree-Dic banger, later continued on the "Outro" where he pays homage to artists that are actually worth learning from. "Concrete" is another one of the LP's harder tracks with a taste of Star's cockier side. You won't find the usual barrage of guest appearances, although Print does step out from behind the boards on "Catch Up". "Help Is On the Way" is a quick glimpse at Columbus life and stands as Forever's most uplifting joint, thanks in part to a Blueprint piano sample. On the other hand, tracks like "PTI" and "The Lounge" allow you to kick back and zone out. Zero Star shines just as brightly whether it's a story / topical rhyme or simply flexing skills. Regardless of the subject matter you could say he's always flexing. "People" calls out artists struggling to be themsevles and reviewers too caught up in how "street" you are. "I'm not a thug or a nerd, I'm just that guy". "Afterthoughts" contains the contemplations racing through his head after he heard Dilla had passed away. Similarly, "Stress 101" is proof that you don't need to be living the thug lifestyle to have problems or dark thoughts. "The Cycle Part 2" is a grungy track that also touches on death and the choices that people make. On the storytelling front, "Two Way Street" is the tale of a troubled girl that he flips it by giving the end of the story first and filling in the rest later. A lot like Blueprint, Zero Star has that type of appeal that could stretch coast to coast, beyond the expected regional props. There's not a lot of flaws in his game. A couple of tracks on Forever's Never Really That Long have sleepy production but all in all it's more than you can ask for from a little known artist. The lyrics will hold your attention as soon as you press the play button. With a little bit of time and if the chemistry with Print develops, Star could cause some damage in the game. There's not a lot of MC's you feel like you can actually believe these days, but Zero Star is one of them. 3.5 out of 5 andy