Man, that title is such an interesting concept to me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen or felt ‘Fresh Powder’ unless washing powder counts? But don’t think that’s fresh… just thinking out loud! Let’s get to the album!
So, this is the 2024 album by MC Beck and Producer FVNTVNV, and together they released eight tracks with 18 minutes of content featuring the likes of
-Big Man G
-Hus Kingpin
-Gustavo Louis
-Sabio Dub
That’s quite a line-up to acquire for such a compact record, and it lives up to the hype. You have so many distinctive personalities across this record, and they all mash together amazingly! Whether it be the smooth king himself Hus, the ever-so-charismatic Gustavo, or the Sunshine rap innovator himself Sabio Dub!
Beck has come together to provide so much flavour and depth into this record, and of course, none more compelling than the man himself!
Across this album, we hear a man who showcases his more ‘introspective’ and ‘intricate’ side of things. Taking a refreshing detour from the over-saturated ‘Gangsta Rap’ themes and going into a more witty, thought-provoking, and engaging tone with his approach to his bars, and I love it!
He has this level of sensibility with his style, he has an absolutely killer flow with dope lyricism, and a strong pen game! The way he writes and glides through the instrumentation effortlessly is awe-inspiring!
When he’s laying the bars down, he gives off this strong energy about him that’s hard to put into words unless you’ve heard it yourself, but it’s definitely special like he’s preaching to the crowd with raw magnetic forces! It’s really cool, and combining that with the chemistry with the mentioned MC’s and you have a recipe that can’t fail!
Speaking of. We have the production aspect! One that was a lot more ambient/Lo-Fi and mellow than I was expecting, but it does pair well with the style of BECK, so it was a well-thought-out idea!
You can hear those smooth jazz elements, those subtle vocal snippets on repeat, those bass-heavy strings, and soulful strings. All the instrumentation is done with a hint of cinematic energy, where each sound has tons of emphasis placed on it until it sounds like a theatrical score! I love the methodical and surreal execution of the music itself.
It feels like slow waves in the ocean turned into music form. The patience built up with every note and key. How they’ve taken their time to marinate and cook before each sound is hit. Nothing I hate more than rushed production; you can just hear it, and it ruins any album. There’s a difference between fast-paced instrumentation and rushed, and I’m so glad to say that on this one, not only isn’t it rushed but it’s handled so tastefully and smoothly that it just takes your mind into that peaceful place for the entirety of the 18 minutes!
Overall, for eight tracks, this one hits really hard! Not hard in terms of grit or toughness but hard in quality and execution! Definitely worth checking out!
https://open.spotify.com/album/4Grg9sOpFXfGgNCHsdkEbB?si=H6X5gTisQ7CD4SHGNskQfQ
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 