(GALATIC DONUT)

Based on the premise alone, incorporating DBZ into the album? That’s already a W for me. But then you add in the producer responsible for this album? Nah it’s already a wrap and I haven’t even heard the record yet! But I know we gotta get into it ASAP!

This is the latest EP by MC’s Novian Wright & Jo Saza and we have the one and only DeevoDaGenius on production! Together they drop a solid 7 tracks with no features in sight just two dope rappers and a beat maker to keep the energy up!

This album starts off with a quick 13 second intro of the iconic Buu Saga moment when Goten and Kid Trunks use fusion on Piccolo’s command! This would be right before fighting Super Buu! A boss ass moment and a perfect way to capture the energy and vibe of the two MC’s being introduced to us!

As the album goes on we get a beautiful glimpse of a fusion of 

-Soul

-Alt RnB

-Ambient

-Funk

-Hip Hop 

-Jazz and the way Deevo combines these elements and crafts memorable singles out of them is actually insane. There hasn’t been a single project I’ve heard of his yet that I’ve felt lacklustre about but especially on the projects when he deviates from the ‘traditional’ rap sounds and tries his hand at more experimental and creative fusions is when I feel he shines best!

These 16 minutes are a collection of immersive, in depth soundtracks to access your deepest thoughts and imagination. This feels less like a rap album to play out in your car but more one to sit back, close your eyes and let the originality and conceptual flow of all three involved take over and give you a sonic wave you’ve yet to experience before!

I love how fluent the music is, even though each instrumental has so much going on they still connect with the other 6 tracks in a proper and consistent manner! 

Deevo understands the assignment in creating the best possible score that enhances the two performances and personalities of this duo and that’s why each song is crafted immaculately with colorful melodies, sharp instrumentation and an overall groovy exterior that will have you coming back every time! 

You know, when I went through my first listen of this EP I had one thought. These two men remind me of ‘EARTHGANG’ of course not a copy of them and they do their own thing 

But I feel the same level of chemistry between the two, similar energy and charisma running through them. The fact their personalities and cadences can create such an explosive dynamic over the beats I found truly impressive! I’ve heard plenty of duo’s over my time as the serpent tongue and most are dope but there’s not many that can create this level of excitement and passion that blows up over the track!

The type of enthusiasm that can’t be made but god gifted! 

It really was like listening to the synchronicity of Kid Trunks and Goten! Go and re watch that Saga if you haven’t in a while, and listen to the witty banter, the rebellious nature and playful rhythm of the two! (That’s not including post Gotenks) they had Gon & Killua vibes and I’m getting that exact same feel by these two MC’s here!

How they go back fourth, the way their words can be manipulated across the beat and sound almost bouncy! The sharp lyricism and authentic vibes they share make this album so much fun to listen to! Like two brothers kicking off the EP of the year!

I’m so fucking happy they decided not to use any features to potentially taint the game they were spitting! They have enough swagger to give to everyone decades (Naruto style) and never run out!  So they sure as hell don’t need anyone else taking over what they already mastered! 

Man I can’t talk enough good about this album, from the DBZ influence to the music itself. This is a trio you don’t wanna sleep on!

https://open.spotify.com/album/0VIIywMy62TfUJJ0FtqUW7?si=e8v7ZEbJTPaIvNFGzH5cFQ

(REALITY RAP)

It’s a wild experience for me to go into every new album of these guys and think ‘this is my new favourite production’. I can’t help it. These men keep creating bangers that each new album lights up by senses all over again. With that being said, let’s get into it!

This is the brand-new album by iconic hip-hop duo MC ZELL and producer Dev Rogers. I discovered them in 2025 and haven’t looked back. I’ve been rather vocal about their success and consistency over the year, and they haven’t disappointed me!

Across these eight tracks and 16 minutes (might be their shortest offering to date), we hear Dev on what could be seen as his most soulful and atmospheric instrumentals to date!

Each track feels and has a level of aura to it that’s hard to pinpoint. It’s not exactly ‘boom bap’ but it’s not exactly mellow either. It’s somewhere in the sweet spot middle that got me hooked immediately!

I mean that intro track -BALTIMORE STATE OF MIND might have my favourite instrumental I’ve heard all year. My god, is it beautiful!

There’s this heavy jazz influence, light plucked strings, and this angelic vocal harmony that is so subtle yet so crisp that it adds a new layer of warmth to the song that comes together in this surreal experience!

There are other tracks such as the second track in -YELLOW TAPE (STORE RUN) that has this combination of adventurous and gritty tones associated with it. It’s got this rhythmic jazz horn loop that feels as powerful as can be! Assorted with that are these heavy-set drums, and a sturdy yet more background placement of these sharp chord progressions that help provide some extra tension to the song!

Hell, if we look at the track -CEMENT SHOES, which had the most wild intro with what sounded like Star Wars light saber battles, that later evolved into this raw meets stoner rap vibe! I think it’s because of those swaying plucked chords in the background! Reminds me of some prime Cypris Hill shit!

They also have some more hypnotic drum scores and light jazz notes that later evolve (in the finale 20 seconds or so) into this light jazz feel to close the track off! Very well done indeed!

Point is, Dev is giving us a masterpiece in instrumentation, even more than he normally does! Absolutely brilliant! (Especially that intro track, god damn)

I still remember the first critic comparison I made of ZELL ‘He’s like a real-life Inosuke’ and that’s still something I die on! Across the 5-6 albums I’ve reviewed of theirs, (maybe more) he’s maintained and upheld his trademark intensity in his performances and I feel with each release he’s only gotten more socially aware and using his platform to speak his truths and views on the world around him, giving the younger generation tips on how to be better!

When you think about it, he’s kind of hip-hop’s answer to Furious Styles. A street kid turned sensible adult who wants to teach the new school how to succeed in life! And doing so in his own practical and in-your-face approach, wanting to save people from the hood!

He’s back stronger than ever with his ferocious cadence, his powerful wordplay and his damn near shouting bars that you can’t help but feel resonate throughout your bones as you go through the album.

For 16 minutes this man hits you with a truck full of verbal lessons, messages and street poetry but instead of used to brag he’s using as a warning spot! I also love how across all these drops he works solo, no one next to him just ZELL keeping the energy alive himself and that’s something I gotta respect heavily!

This duo has never given us a reason to worry and they haven’t started now. Another adrenaline-filled drop by the two men, one you should definitely check out below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2baCwGl9JSFbkHqyXwC0pB?si=bx2Lp-MgR2yHae7SxEsb-Q

M.I.K.E.Y. (Maybe I Knew Everything, Yesterday)

Man, I fucking love concept albums. The very premise of a ‘Concept’ album is that the artist or band is thinking of a theme or idea to utilise in music form! It means they are thinking and activating their creative genius, and no more evident is this than here! With an idea so deep that I found myself hooked on this album before I even pressed play. Let’s get into it!

This is the brand-new album by MC Yasin and producer Clypto, and together they drop a solid 13 tracks featuring the likes of 

-Eloh Kush

-Tim Jones

And get this (as the Bandcamp description tells us): this album is based off the premise that Michael from ‘The Godfather’ knew everything was going to happen prior to YESTERDAY! 

Yes, you read that correctly. What a fucking concept! One of my favourite movies showcased in this manner is beyond exciting! And that puts both men in my good books for life just for executing it!

So, let’s start with the production aspect. Because to match such a grand idea, you’d need the perfect soundscape to work with, and that’s where Clypto comes in! Working with a whole arrangement of sounds and influences, he brings to the table a variation of softer cuts, classical styles, hard-hitting and funky instrumentals all to replicate the roller coaster ride of the film itself!

Whether you are talking about more sombre cuts such as -Michael In The Restaurant with that bare vocal loop done in two different layers, one a male voice in the forefront and the other in a shorter female snippet following behind the main one! I also love how that main vocal harmony evolves into a full sentence throughout the song!

This song also provides us with some plucked strings and light drum work that all adds up to create a slow burner that makes you think about life! (Not to mention that smooth flute sample!)

There are more upbeat cuts such as -Hang Gliders that has a more late 70’s early 80’s funk/soul vibe to it! You’ve got those upbeat vocal choir style loops accompanied by those light horns in the background and those groovy piano keys that sound full of life with every note! 

It sounds like celebration, like victory, like SUCCESS! The kind beats Stevie Wonder would make just full of spirit and happiness! Such a dope cut!

(Not to mention Eloh’s dope verse!)

We even have cuts like -Holy Water which has one of the more ambitious sonic layouts of the whole album! With that insane vocal snippet that repeats in one-second intervals as well as the plucked strings and that high-pitch chord progression that all in all makes this both one of the more skeletal joints but also one of the most memorable due to its out-there nature!

This song sounds like contemplation and mystery. Like ‘The Godfather’ thinking of his next move and planning accordingly! 

Point is, every song on this album (to me) represents a different concept and stage of process. As if to replicate what the film so perfectly represents! An absolutely phenomenal job by Clypto! 

Now, I mean as far as bars go. After I’ve described what it’s about, you think the pen game gonna be lacking? Of course not! This is Yasin showcasing his lyrical genius by strategically setting up verses and bars that represent the notion of the concept he created.

So think of his work here as a running film/story just like ‘The Godfather’ from the interlude, to the middle to the outro and everything in between. He’s single-handedly spinning his own grand narrative and using Hip Hop as the medium to do so! 

Of course, every now and then we hear his brash side come on, he drops the occasional in-your-face, brag bar to remind the audience and the culture who the fuck he is, but for the most part, he keeps it relevant. Every song is layered with verbal references, in-depth conceptual work and colourful expressions and performances to really bring this album to life!

He’s a grand author with a compelling sense of storytelling and drama! I mean, already trying to breathe life into an already legendary film is hard enough, but to do it in an underground hip-hop scale? A tough task indeed, and he absolutely nailed it!

If you are just someone who only cares about club bangers and hit singles. This probably won’t be for you! But if you can appreciate the art of storytelling and a strong conceptual approach, then you will love this! Bandcamp link below— go click, buy, support, and listen and feel the excitement!

https://yasin3.bandcamp.com/album/m-i-k-e-y-maybe-i-knew-everything-yesterday-4

(Dinosaur BBQ: Music Video)

Due to a special request, I’ll be covering a song off an album I’ve already reviewed but one that is now equipped with a music video! It’s not every day I cover these, but I was blessed enough to be chosen to do this review! So let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new MUSIC VIDEO for MC Seth Narley and Producer Halal Seeds, and as mentioned above, this is for the track ‘Dinosaur BBQ’, which, for those who don’t know (or don’t remember) that amazing, stripped-back and atmospheric soundscape with those light vocal harmonies, sharp violin strings, and methodical drum sounds! 

So, it’s only fair that of all tracks, THIS is the one for the video. Right off the bat, I must say I love this video as just like the song, it’s so simple yet so powerful in the message it perceives!

Firstly, we have the man Seth walking out of a food joint in an ‘avirex’ jacket back to his black van as he begins to rap!

We also get the occasional montage of stuff like: 

– other moving cars

– driving footage

– street signs 

As well as the occasional footage of Seth himself getting out of the car to visit places! 

The footage definitely feels third person meets first. Because although it is focused on him and his car and him rapping! There are plenty of shots of other areas I just mentioned to add an extra layer of ‘aesthetic’ to the video (which I found pretty dope).

If anything, this gives me ‘Taxi Driver’ feels, a man roaming the streets at night, observing the world around him! I love how he raps in and around his car as well as the message behind it (which was added on the IG Reel’ where he goes ‘You gon tell me I can’t smoke in this shit?’ Absolutely love that for the caption!

You’ve heard the song. You’ve heard the album. BUT have you seen the music video? If not, make sure to roll over to Seth Narley’s IG and you’ll find it!  Or click down below! 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVHaT0Fkbqf/?igsh=ZmJxMnNoaHg4emFh

(83rd Strike)

What a blessing today is. We get to celebrate a duo of epic proportions. Two men who could (and have) easily take over the wave solo, but together? That almost feels like overkill but in the best way possible. So with that in mind, it’s time to discuss what could be the biggest collaboration of the year!

This is the brand-new album between MC’s Passport Rav & Bloo Azul and they have with them the producers as follows:

– Good Food

– Custee

– Passport Rav

– Wavy Da Ghawd

– Sherman

– Retrospec

– The Standouts

– Showalter!

And man, I can’t even front. The production on this thing is fucking beautiful. As it has this real old-school vibe to it that I fell in love with immediately. 

Each track has a melodic and atmospheric rhythm to it that’s impossible to ignore, each instrumental is glistening, powerful, and surreal in their own right.

Somehow each man contributing to this record came together under one vision as it feels as fluent as if one man made it. You can tell each producer put their best foot forward and gave us some of their best work to date!

Not gonna lie, when I saw the early concepts for the artwork I was expecting a more ‘boom bap’ flavoured album! A more heavy, in-your-face take on the music. But no! It surprised me by having some of the most elegant and nostalgic moments I’ve heard all year.

But here’s the thing, although there are influences and inspiration from the past they utilise those into the modern hip-hop landscape! It’s not just a copy and paste of the same music you heard in the 80s or 90s but a new, refreshed, and refined version based on the present. That’s what makes it spectacular! 

To see so many men share the same vision and energy and synchronicity is absolutely incredible. Trust me it’s fucking RARE for that to happen. We have exactly 8 men on the beats, do you understand how hard that would be to manage 8 different mindsets for one album? Hard. BUT somehow they all came together and created pure hip-hop magic.

My two favourite cuts on the record had to be the opening two songs. The angelic vibes they gave off had me in a relaxed state I haven’t heard in a minute! True mastery of smooth vibes!

The big selling point of this album is the fact that two of the HARDEST SPITTERS in the underground. Nah scratch that, IN THE GAME PERIOD! Have come together under a common goal to create pure, unadulterated verbal chaos together and put the game on lock. When I first heard about this collaboration, I was blown away, but now that I’ve heard it? I can’t imagine the game without it!

These two lyrical monsters, trading verses back and forth, in brotherly competition trying to outdo each other, one up the other (just like a fighting game), and they are the two best of both worlds.

We are getting the underground equivalent of Jin Kazama VS Ryu. It’s on, and these two don’t stop until every single of the 14 instrumentals is left dormant from their incredible bars and sharp wordplay! 

Listening to two legends on the same team is a dream come true for me. Both men bring their trademark charisma, personality, and passion to the record and execute them flawlessly! With deadly precision, incredible vocabularies between them, vivid scenes spelt out in the bars, complex structured verses, and more.

They don’t let up the whole album! The production might be predominantly smooth and atmospheric, but the MC side of things is killer and cutthroat!

Even though every record they’ve been on, they sound dope, but they just sound even more so here. They understand the stakes of representing both on the same album, the bar to set, and the quality needed to be achieved to make this album a showstopper, and with no features in sight, the MC work resting solely on their shoulders, they commit to making one of the most riveting and dynamic albums we’ve heard all year! And they make it look easy!

They didn’t have to flex this hard, BUT THEY DID! Two of the best to ever do it under some of the most ridiculous production you’ll hear! What are you waiting for? Click the link below, support the two, purchase, and enjoy! 

https://passportrav.bandcamp.com/album/83rd-strike

(1212’s)

It’s an exciting day for the culture because we get to receive a new EP and, more importantly, original music by a man who has been driving in both lanes of NARCOMIXES and original music, and this time around we get that fresh, new shit, and with that in mind, we GOTTA GET INTO THIS!

This is the latest EP by MC Gustavo Louis and producer Happy Art, and together they drop a solid five tracks running just under 20 minutes, with the one guest appearance ofEarn Dinero, and across these five, we get Gustavo back on his more street poetry-heavy themed music that is just as mesmerising as it ever has been!

The thing to understand about Gustavo (for those who haven’t already heard his music) is that he’s a charismatic performer on his worst day. At his best, he’s a personality so strong that you can’t help but rock with it. He never just raps his bars; he brings them to life!

Whether we are talking about his sporadic adlibs reminiscent of WSG or his NECROMIXES where he challenges himself to the standards of the GOATS or if he’s just rapping with that incredible passion of his, he’s always trying to do the most, and it’s an entertaining result when he does! 

As I mentioned above, it seems we are back on the street/drug talk as was made clear in the opening track ‘To Kill A Sparrow’ and only further confirms my point as the tracks go on, a topic he hasn’t been shy about discussing in the past, and I doubt this will be his last, but when does he always do so with immense enthusiasm and vivid imagery as he describes his situations, the equipment, the math behind the amounts, everything, and anything?

Combine that with his natural skills as an MC with his freelance flow, and you have a recipe for an artist that is equal parts engaging and deadly!

Of course, his chemistry with Earn is well documented as they’ve been on plenty of tracks before, but this time around, it felt like they were trying to get the very best out of one another, and it showed!

Dope verses by both men with the highest quality and most vibrant performances! A fantastic track. 

As far as the production goes, each track feels like a street soup opera. If The Sopranos was a hip

Hop musical, then this is how it would sound! (Well, probably Christopher’s version), but still, it’s got that same feel of cinematic power as well as the muddy realism that comes with the topics spoken in the record!

Like how the guitar loops on track one make the song feel like a Tony Soprano montage scene of him going to different establishments and reminding everyone who is boss and why!

Or how on track 2 the plucked bass chords remind me of Sal, the loyal right-hand man going around putting out fires for Tony and maintaining the stability and FEAR of the Soprano Family. It’s got that chilling yet funky atmosphere to it that I fucking loved!

The track Feliz definitely reminds me of Uncle Jr’s soundtrack. Those classical jazz notes on loop accompanied by the glistening keys? You can’t tell me that’s not Junior sitting in his house on permanent house arrest just losing his mind, getting his hand stuck in the sink again while this is playing on his old-school radio! It has him written all over!

The point is, this is a more theatrical release than most for Gustavo. It’s as if hired Happy to compose a gangster play that runs for only 19 minutes, but the amount of depth and detail crammed in is more than enough to satisfy the customers in attendance!

If you had to check any Gustavo project out yet, it should be this one! It’s sharp, grand, and fun all around! Link below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4WIDjg8it1q9cx97cUOEd8?si=cpAo_qtNSUu4cEoqP855IQ

(2Piece)

As appropriately named as any EP will be! This new project is by a duo that has been making their rounds, doing their due diligence, and putting the work in to be recognised as one of the more creative duos in the game, and it’s because of drops like this that make them so popular among experimental heads like me! So with that in mind, let’s get into it!

This latest 2-track offering is by producers D-DON and Eric Frm Salem (D producing track one and Eric doing track 2), and both tracks feature the MC D-Fex and rocking with a dope as fuck album cover art that reminds me of old-school 80’s punk bands like Black Flag! Anyway, let’s talk about these songs.

The first one – The 6th Step has this concept of smooth meets atmospheric pressure. It’s a best of both worlds situation going on here because on the one hand, you have those luscious chords and plucked strings that sound absolutely angelic alongside those shimmering drum patterns!

But there’s also this overwhelming synth chord progression that runs uninterrupted throughout the song that gives a more ‘experimental’ feel to the mix.

It kind of reminds me of a beat Odd Future would have made in their prime, mellow yet brash at the same time!

Speaking of, we have the verses. D-Don runs his shit with his in-your-face bars that are equal parts powerful and gritty! He’s always found a way to make his wordplay engaging and entertaining to the point you’re hooked onto what he’s going to do and say next! 

Certainly, there are similarities between that and the verse of D-FEX who rocks a less traditional, more abrupt take on a rap verse with his intense energy, borderline introspective pen game, and a voice that bleeds conviction onto the beat. Truly a fantastic chemistry for the both of them!

The exact same thing can be said for track 2 – PalmTreeDebris as we get the same chemistry doubled down! The amazing rough and rugged lyricism combined with natural charisma and a less than traditional take on the flow! Going and spitting whichever way and motion they want, they come verbally swinging with clever one-liners, dope bars and verses as well as an altogether interesting pen game that makes for a memorable and mesmerising listen!

I feel the beat this time around is a lot more on the ambient side! You’ve got those light guitar strings in two different tones! As well as some methodically paced drums and a specific type of atmosphere that runs in the background of the track that I can’t exactly put my finger on, but it gives this song a real spacey vibe to it that I loved!

All in all, what can you complain about in a two-piece? It was fresh, original and uniquely crafted! With dope production and feature verses! What more could you want? Peep it below! 

https://d-don.bandcamp.com/album/2piece

(Death Won’t Stop Us)

Well, this was a combination I didn’t expect to see! Two men who have captivated the underground in different lanes. Both men I’ve reviewed and have mad respect for! So to see them come together for a project has me more hyped than you can imagine! With that in mind, let’s fucking go!

This is the brand-new EP between MC Hank Dope & Producer Kut One, and together they drop a solid five tracks (alongside five instrumental variations of the songs), and it features the likes of 

– Reek Osama

– Yasin

– Planet Asia

– Outti

For such a short project, this has some powerhouse names accompanying it! Turns out the best of the best want to have their names associated with this explosive collaboration, and I don’t blame them!

Across these five tracks, we hear Kut incorporate his trademark raw, gritty, and cinematic soundscape to create an intense but powerful score that makes you feel like you’re walking through one of the roughest streets at midnight!

Each track has a combination of heavy-handed strings, hypnotic bass notes, sadistic drum patterns, as well as a dark ambient atmosphere that makes each track feel eerie and haunting in execution!

I love the fact that each song under the three-minute mark but packs so much heat! A combination of minimally layered instrumentals where each instrument is emphasised to its most crisp and smooth destination.

Kut is one of those producers that knows how to master each and every sound on a track. He knows how to mix each aspect until it sounds grand and theatrical! This sounds more like a movie score for Tarantino than it does your average hip-hop album! The way he’s able to create a fluent feel between each of the five songs and make them work alongside each other is beautiful to see! An absolutely brilliant performance by one of the dopest in the industry!

Hank. One of the earliest reviews names I’ve done, he’s always been on his grimy shit. A man who knows no filter or concept of losing. Each album or EP has had ‘banger’ written all over it, and this time he hit another home run!

Although only five tracks to go off on, he doesn’t waste a second!

We get his notorious vivid street raps in spades, sounding like he’s rapping said bars on the street corner himself! It sounds so authentic and dirty that I wonder if he’s rapping or just describing what he’s seeing in the world around him!

Always one to spit verbal assaults across the tracks, clever bars, sharp wordplay, devastating descriptions, and a brand of street poetry that is unlike any other. People like him and Reek Osama have a way with words that makes you want to stay away from the streets, while most find ways to glorify it; these two men point out clear as day the DANGER behind that lifestyle, no sugar coating!

Speaking of Reek, he’s here in spades. I always love hearing him and Hank collaborate; their fusion is unmistakable, and their verses work hand in hand with each other. I love that he’s on two of the tracks!

Not to mention a song alongside the legend Planet Asia! If that ain’t bragging rights for both Hank and Reek, I don’t know what is!

Yasin also spit his shit on the second track, as all guests sound on top form across this short but intense EP!

You’d be a fool not to give this one a shot! It’s every bit as grimy as I expected it to be, and I can definitely see this being on my repeat list for months to come! Link below! 

https://choppingblockrecords.bandcamp.com/album/death-won-t-stop-us

(Behind The Smile)

I live by a pretty simple rule: if Tone drops a record, I support it! This man has been with me through most of my reinventions and failures before getting to this point. He’s seen me do my Facebook reviews to now, and that kind of support you can’t buy, so he’s always someone I’ll prioritise! Not to mention I legitimately feel he’s one of the best producers out right now, so I never have to worry about his work; anyone he works with ends up sounding like gold, and this time is no exception! So let’s get into it!

This is the brand-new album by MC Benny Slumz and legendary producer Tone Spliff. Together, they drop a solid 10-track album that is sure to impress the audience and put the culture on hold! 

Firstly, I want to say, I love what they did with the intro: with that news report-style introduction that evolves into Benny rapping, it makes for a cinematic interlude and sets high standards for him to go off on!

As we hear him rap, we hear a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and utilises his passion and love for the game to craft some of the most lively and engaging verses you’ll hear. To the uncultured, it may seem like he’s just rapping the usual underground monotone bars you hear from everyone else, but he’s different. Why?

Because if you really listen to the words he’s spitting, you can hear him putting his thoughts, personal feelings, and adversities on the paper for all to see and hear. It’s not every day a rapper bares his soul into the music— every insecurity, conflict, and consequence as well as the triumphs, successes, and blessings that have come since continuing this rap shit. He’s showcasing the good and the bad, and it’s in that vulnerability that makes him such a strong MC and artist to pay attention to!

That’s not even including talking about his sharp lyricism, his powerful presence and no-nonsense flow as well as his raw charisma that makes him sound like a ghetto preacher who is fluent in street poetry. It’s relentless, eye-opening and ever so refreshing to hear a style of his that has perfected the core basics of this rap shit and is now using it to his advantage. Absolutely killed performance!

When we get into the production side of things! We hear tone in his usual bag of excellence. I’m talking about that bombastic, heavy, raw, 90’s-inspired hip hop sound with a clean finish and slick instrumentation!

He’s the master at being able to properly fuse the combination of modern-day underground and classic old school to create a goth-fresh and nostalgic sound that everyone can dig!

As usual, it’s well-structured, cohesive and excellently executed instrumentals that feel heavy yet crisp and deliver a hard punch! Such is the lead single for the record ‘P.W.B’ with those glistening chords, those thudding bass sounds and the introduction of those hypnotic drums that turn this minimal layered track into a banger that will stay in your mind for months! 

I also love the light usage of the vocal snippets that entice the track! 

Each track feels like a love letter to the golden era as he is a student of that time and he’s taking what he’s learnt and incorporating it into the present day with all the new knowledge and techniques he’s developed over the years. The perfect sponge for the culture and one who is never afraid to evolve but also never forgetting to stick to his roots (walking that fine line).

Each track is memorable, infectious and clean. Just like with his last offering ‘A Pleasant Surprise’, how he focused on quality first then the music itself. He’s always working on the most important things to give each drop the maximum replay value and I feel this one might be his strongest yet!

So tune in, go buy the album and support the duo that is making quality music for the underground! Trust me you won’t regret it! 

https://tonespliff.bandcamp.com/album/behind-the-smile