I tell you, man, Slade ain’t like anyone else in the game. There’s something about him that just screams ‘originality’ with whatever records he drops, and now I come to find out he’s out here doing a duo record? This man’s ambition never ends! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new collaboration album between MC’s Mondo Slade and Minister Hyde! Featuring producers
– Minister Hyde
– King R.E.M.
On this occasion, we’re talking NO FEATURES, just straight bars from these two titans of the industry who have decided to pair up to show everyone in the game right now why they are the two to beat right now!
These two have some of the best chemistry you could ask for! Both highly energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate above all else when dropping words!
They’ve got slick wordplay, explosive verses and bars along with witty one-liners, puts, and doubled-down lyricism that will make the most legendary MC’s scrunch their faces up at the vocabulary dropped on this one!
The way they pass the verse to the one coming next in the most seamless way possible is insane; the first sets up with devastating precision and powerhouse rhythm and pen game one of the dopest verses you’ll ever hear in your life, only to pass the magma down for the same level of heat to be created by the second!
When you have 2x MC’s of this calibre, it’s a surefire thing to have quality tracks! They haven’t missed a day in their life, and they don’t start here! Showcasing that, features try to keep up with THEM and not the other way round! These two have the same level of chemistry as a duo that’s been together for 2x decades!
Such synchronicity and partnership across each of these 12 tracks, it’s a beautiful thing to witness!
As far as the production is concerned, this is where I hear Slade’s influence most because part of what makes him such a unique and stand-out artist is his trademark of adding either comic-related/Noir/Old School samples that remind me of a different era in time! Always over-the-top, entertaining, and interesting snippets that give the album that special level of ‘vibes’ that no one else is really doing!
When talking about the music, I would describe it as atmospheric East Coast Hip Hop with a sprinkle of Ambient Aesthetic! I wouldn’t say this is a ‘Gritty/Grimey’ project as much as it is an ‘introspective and larger-than-life’ record with a lot of surreal and methodically paced instrumentation that puts the listener in a consistent state of engagement for the whole 29 minutes!
You’ve got those plucked strings, those harmonic/Folk-inspired horns, those synth chords, and those minimalist drum patterns! Very skeletal and yet at the same time wavy and concentrated in such a majestic manner that it makes your body go into a trance-like state as you just sit back and enjoy a dope record!
I love the prolonged instrumentals, the feeling of depth and precision across these tracks! It’s trying to make sure it sounds nothing like anything else this year, and it’s doing that in spades!
As usual, Mondo hit a home run! Alongside Minister Hyde, they are a dynamic duo that can’t be stopped! Make sure you check this one out now!
https://open.spotify.com/album/5K2dVJ4g5EaNJVKCQhvNWU?si=l4W9CzoaTLqT_9Q5Ja_sTw
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 