Man, I’ll tell you what I’ve done. Almost 500 reviews this year, and I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen artists who have ridiculously consistent and somehow hit with every project, and I’ve seen artists who take their time to make new albums and do the waiting game. And I’ll let you know, there is nothing quite like waiting for an anticipated drop and having it hit on all cylinders! That’s what happens with this one, so let’s talk about it!
This is the latest EP by MC Borden and Producer 80Rock, who earlier this year killed it with their last album ‘Dead Prime Ministers’, which helped put these guys on the map for me in the first place! Now they are back, and trust me, they’ve somehow managed to hit even harder than before!
Let’s start with the production side of things. 80Rock. This man is a true gem in the industry, as his style is one that I would describe as ‘Grand Minimalism’, and let me explain why.
In this 5-track EP, we have some of the most bare-boned, skeletal rendition of Boom Bap that lends itself to the 90’s East Coast era with a modern-day twist.
You have those harrowing notes, those devastatingly heavy drums, and those delicate keys that remind me of something Nas would drop during his (Illmatic-It Was Written) era, those unforgiving synth chords, and those haunting vocal samples (such as on track 3) that loop around, combined with those piano keys that make for a truly eerie listening experience.
But in its ’simplicity’, there’s a strong atmosphere and detail in the sonic stylistic choices in this production. It’s not just that the music itself is raw; it’s the fact that by using the ‘less is more’ theory, 80Rock is able to add emphasis, build up, and elevate each instrument and loop until it sounds as cinematic as possible!
Some people come across as inexperienced with the lack of instrumentation, but it’s not the case here. What we see here is genius restraint, the understanding of not wanting any filler or waste in this five-track EP and deciding to utilise those beats to its most theatrical and high-end conclusion!
These songs may sound skeletal, but trust me, trained ears can tell just how extraordinary these production choices are! Absolutely love it!
Where would this album be without the right-hand man in Borden? The more I navigate the underground landscape, the more I feel that MC’s who remain solid but don’t do any wild shit or do dumb shit to get attention get overlooked, which is such an annoying thing to witness when you have so many solid down to earth MC’s such as Borden who work and perfect the art he’s best at, and just because he isn’t doing viral trends or going with the flow of things, he’s not as big as some of the other names.
It’s a true shame because what he accomplished on this EP in the short eight-minute time span is more authentic, genuine, and meaningful than 90% of the rap game can say for themselves!
I love his style because it’s the definition of ‘organic.’ It’s no nonsense, just pure & unfiltered bars over dope hip-hop beats as the game was meant to be.
I love his monotone and cold exterior on the instrumentals. He sounds and acts ruthless on the tracks but at the same time, he spits in-depth street poetry with the vocabulary to match!
He’s equally intense and introspective. He’s smart and calculated while also maintaining his cold-blooded pen game, lyricism, and sharp tongue across the tracks!
As expected, another fantastic project by this pair. A duo who just focused on making a dope record and nothing else. Nothing over the top or complicated and not following any stupid trends, just salt of the earth, amazing hip-hop, and that should be celebrated!
https://open.spotify.com/album/5b5Wyoc6nm3HBEehIa0uXK?si=YsHeWa2pS5O28Pvl6wNzEA
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