Can we just take a moment to appreciate the takeover of ‘23IncredibleIndustries’ and how they are running the game right now! They’ve been building their empire for years now, but it feels in 2025 they are the ones to beat! So many dope projects out already, one more coming this week and more in the future! This album is merely a representation of the power and quality control of the Al Mighty 23! Let’s talk about it!
This is the latest album by notorious twin brothers THEMELLOS. These men not only have been making waves in the culture but also have everything going for them as they are able to produce AND spit bars between them! On this occasion, they dropped 13 tracks with 34 minutes of content featuring the likes of
-NITA SLAY
-Swizzy
-KALEO JACOBS
-NAIMEZ
-Nyeusi Loe
-Sherrece Amour
-OP SHIZZ
Now, what came to my attention early with this album was how it felt like they had found the perfect middle ground between ‘Underground Grit/High End Mainstream’ because although the overall narrative of the record is heavy and down-to-earth and no-nonsense, I also hear those lavish performances, those stadium choruses, those R&B and soul-inspired production on a handful of the tracks that make me think these two were influenced by both scenes and wanted to make a record that symbolises both!
On the underground side of things, we have something of the most atmospheric aura rap you’ve heard in a minute with those minimalistic sonic structures, those long and surreal chords and keys that loop hypnotically song to song to provide an ambient energy that can’t be replicated by just anyone!
Whether that be vocal snippets that are left repeated for ‘Grimy’ effect such as tracks like ‘BUDDAHPATTERNS’ with those relentless synth chords that pair with that vocal melody!
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Or whether you’re talking about tracks like ‘MEMBERSONLY’ that contain that rugged yet gorgeous jazz instrumentation that has one of the most lively patterns on a song! Combine that with subtle drum patterns and it makes for the definition of aura!
On the mainstream side of things, the first track that comes to mind is ‘RUNNINWILD’ which has that almost trap-flavoured rap beat alongside those elegant chords that sound like guitar strings that have been manipulated! What stands out most about this track is towards the end with that R&B-style vocal performance that closes the song off! It reminds me of a classic D’Angelo-type performance! Love it!
Or when we look at the track ‘ALLPRAISE’ which has those deep and infectious bass lines that feature those classical vibe violin chords mixed with those grand transition beats! This is the kind of beat I can imagine prime-era Kanye rap on! It’s melodic, cinematic, and memorable!
When we talk about the MC work, Wst Talor absolutely is second to none. Aside from the twins dope tier chemistry! Wst the way they can weave, control, and manipulate the beats for their bars is ridiculous!
He has that crisp and lethal pen game, has have wavy flows with studio passion and enthusiasm that you can hear pour out of all the sentences!
I love the confidence and sometimes brash cadence when on the mics. He is the one to beat right now, and they know it!
Another aspect of this album I love is the fact Wst has his own distinct personality and characteristics on the track! You ain’t hearing the same verse twice because he’s slick like that!
That’s directly an aspect that I love about Estee and Al. Without any information on a song or their names, you can tell which one is which when they rap, and I feel the same energy here!
The man is versatile, sharp MC’s who focused on making a dope album that can last the test of time, and I can guarantee you that without a shadow of a doubt, this one will!
https://open.spotify.com/album/2NCQFqCPr29CR8fyVx4VvA?si=j3gGvlEQTNqmmaw_h_iqOw
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