I’ll be honest, nothing I quite love more than a well executed concept album. I always get excited when I see an artist who’s deciding to push themselves that little bit extra to make something special or larger than life compared to a normal release.
This is exactly the situation here with this new EP by Xcel who this time around has a producer who has been putting in her work in the underground shit for years! Someone who is not only severely underrated but is someone who will definitely be the one to watch out for In the coming year, I’m talking of course of the 6th Man’s ultimate technician Murda Megz and together they clean house!
From the intro of the EP and if the artwork didn’t already let you know that this will be focused on the ape from the modern day remake of the ‘Planet Of The Apes’ movies. Caesar’s the main protagonist for those who haven’t seen it and you hear multiple voice samples of him talking which definitely adds a level of ‘depth and excitement’ to the record and in between those samples the production themselves is fucking head crushing!
We get some absolutely bopping beats throughout the EP, most such as ‘Welcome’ and ‘Koba Talk’ are the type of beats that you’d damn near break your neck trying to bop to, the type of instrumentals you’d play out of your car on a hot day vibing like a motherfucker. The Caesar focus is definitely unique and interesting but accompanied by those heavy beats and this thing becomes a headphone fire hazard!
Now, with Xcel on the horizon, everyone in the underground should know what to expect. Not one to undersell he comes in with tighter bars and flows then I’ve heard in a minute! From savage execution to that trademark confident/experienced lyricism and passion as expected Excel ‘accelerated’ on this EP and didn’t hold anything back.
All in all a brutal EP that showcases the best of both worlds, the beauty of conceptualising and the brutality of hot beats and hot rhymes to pair! Definitely a solid start in 2025!
https://xcel777.bandcamp.com/album/the-caesar-project
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