We’re taking a trip back to February of this year. This would have been my first month on my website, and although I didn’t get a chance to fuck with this when it originally came out, I’m glad to say I can make up for it now because this is a BANGER. Let’s talk about it!
This is a collaboration project between MC IAMGAWD and Producer ILL City, who together dropped eight tracks, 28 minutes of content with the likes of:
-A.M. Early Morning
-Vic Spencer
-The Lil People
-Aakeem Eshu
-GRIFFEN
Now, we gotta talk production first because what this reminds me of is a fusion of trademark underground gritty boom Bap and mid-2000s era mainstream East Coast/South instrumentation! Maybe it’s just me, but I could hear influences from:
-Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz
-Benny the Butcher
-Jay-Z
-2 Chainz
And more! Very funky, groovy, and infectious beats that you could easily hear in clubs, radio stations, and cribs all around the world! It’s crisp, heavy on the bass, hypnotic drum pattern loops, theatrical vocal harmonies on repeat loop, and lush piano and guitar.
All of this is to say that when it comes down to the beat, ILL wanted to master the spirit of fun, hard-hitting, and memorable tracks that contain plenty of replay value and stay in the hearts and minds of the listener for months or years after it’s first play-through!
My favourite track instrumentally would have to be ‘Devil in His Eyes’ due to those eerie and haunting keys that play on a repetitive motion with those minimalistic drum patterns that just make you want to thumb your head until you break your neck! It’s my kind of beat, and the whole production value is just banging!
Now, onto IAMGAWD. The man who, even though he hasn’t released more solo projects this year, has lent his gift to many features across the board and kept proving why he’s one of the most valued MC’s of this generation!
Across these eight tracks, he demonstrates his masterclass of intricate wordplay, smooth and satisfying flow with his impressive vocabulary and dominant pen game that can rival any others he happens to be in contact with (feature or otherwise).
He always has a presence of a leader, and today is no exception. He’s versatile, depending on the track, demonstrating various linguistic textures track to track and always showcasing his lethal lyricism and ridiculousness, one-liners and puns that only he can pull off!
He doesn’t skip a beat this whole album, even when he’s rapping alongside legends like Vic Spencer; he never misses, always perfect word/bar/verse placement, and always stays on point and strong, whatever the song or situation he’s in!
If this had been discovered back in February, it probably would have been on my best album of the first quarter list, but I’m making up for it today and making sure it gets the cover it deserves!
https://open.spotify.com/album/1XUkSkKoLnFb3Eor0ZDBRP?si=qT7GhwQcT56C_GcwwkJSqg
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