You know, often times an artist (especially in hip hop) will use the art of ‘Over Exaggeration’ or ‘False Braggadocio’ for entertainment value or hype or pop on the socials, but in this case, and such has been the case for close to a decade now, Estee Nack and Al Divino have been truthfully
THE COLDEST COMBO EVER
And across this 13-track collaboration, they set out to re-establish that very same fact they’ve been preaching since day one, and with Grubby Pawz on the production, this thing has absolutely no way it can fail, and it didn’t!
This album contains the usual cast of suspects
-FEED THE FAMILY (Borirock, Shaykh Hanif, Dun Dealy)
And ??? (The Hidden Character) with just these four names alone, they created the recipe for not only an album of the month but easily an album of the year!
In my opinion, this is Estee & Al’s most polished and refined record together yet. Grubby knew how big of a deal this drop would be, and so I can tell he put in the work mastering, mixing, and building a cinematic masterpiece that is built between the two most unpredictable and chaotic hip hop charisms the industry has seen in the modern era. He’s literally created the sonic equivalent of the ‘big bang,’ used two destructive and powerful forces to collide, and created life.
What’s clear on this record is that Grubby is focused on using organic instrumentation samples and carefully manipulating them to suit the chaotic environment of the duo. So many of these beats have a beautiful combination of smooth & lawless, deranged & angelic, divine & anarchy. It’s these consistent spectrums constantly being utilised that this album thrives.
It provides the listener with not only an engaging listening experience but also something completely original, creative, and interesting. It’s a stimulation on all fronts. You’ve got that seesaw production combined with the eccentric nature of Estee and Al, and you’ve got the ingredients for the perfect hip hop cocktail.
I can’t believe I can even say this after all the past gems released, but I have to admit, this is the best I’ve heard this duo sound on an album. That’s me saying that, knowing albums like ‘Triple Black Diamonds I&II, IMMORTAL KOMBAT, and ABRAKADABRA, ALAKAZAM’ exist, but I’m telling you, as wild as that is for me to admit, on this album, they are on a whole different level.
On this album, they have improved even more on their notoriously rare duo chemistry. I didn’t think that was possible till today, but they did! Their back-and-forths, matching each other’s intensity, both men outdoing the other with clever puns, witty lines, devastatingly street bars, god-tier one-game, and insane flow and lyricism!
On this record, more than ever, they manipulate the production and make it operate on their behalfs! No matter the tempo, rhythm, or style of beat they are on, they don’t change a thing, they don’t slow down on their relentless approach; they just force the beat to work for them, and somehow it comes out perfectly.
It’s become abundantly clear that the perfect choice for features on this album are FEED THE FAMILY and ???
With the roll The Family have been on the past few years and their own levels of success and consistency, not to mention ‘Infinite Wave,’ which was only earlier this year. Or ‘Hooter Hyena,’ or even ‘WAVY BULLET,’ or even ‘ZING LANGUAGE,’ these guys have been destroying the culture and taking no prisoners, and they have earned to be talked about in the same conversation as Estee and Al, and their presence on this album fits better than I could have expected!
??? is someone who has been rocking with the duo since the early years and is their family! Providing a stream of dope verses and memorable tracks for the discography of both Estee and Al, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that he’s featured on here, and honestly, out of all the frequent collaborations, it would be unsettling if he wasn’t on it! Nonetheless, the use of only a handful of features of this magnitude served the record well as a whole!
I knew this album would be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be THIS GOOD. I know $32 may not be as convenient as streaming or Bandcamp, perhaps, but let me tell you this is worth every dollar! Don’t let it slip past you!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 