If ‘FEED THE FAMILY’ ain’t on your radar by now, then you just ain’t tapped into the real underground, and it’s as simple as that. These men have spent the last few years building and dominating the field together as a collective and even more so as solo artists!
This man, earlier this year, released ‘Hooter Hyena’, which was admittedly my first introduction to the Family and their artists, and with that incredible performance, I was waiting patiently for the next edition of his discography, and the time has finally come, and all I can say is, I’m blessed he’s decided to start.
HANDING OUT SAMPLES
This is the latest full-length project by Feed The Family soldier Top Hooter! With production from the likes of
-Rich Tayo
-16BitSpit
-Tremendiss
-DJ Kerosene
-Michael Angelo
And bars from
-Mondo Slade
-Pro Dillinger
-Dun Dealy
Now, I will say this. I was rather surprised at the tone shift of the record. I was placing my bets on what I expected it to sound based on other members and their sonic projections so far. But I was wrong; this thing is one of the smoothest and most mellow performances of the Family’s work to date, and I was down for every second of it!
Across this project, we see the various producers utilise such things as
-Delicate plucked guitar strings
-Chipmunk-style RnB vocal arrangements
-Slick bass lines
-Classical violin notes
-Soft spoken keyboard
-Funk-inspired drum patterns and more.
Compared to ‘Hyena’, this feels like ‘Divine Feminine’ to his previous ‘GO:OD AM’. A more surreal and soulful outlook with more natural and organic instrumentation, structure, and clarity in the production.
To me, the score brings an atmospheric release that wasn’t present in the last one. Don’t get me wrong, on his last effort, there was a more hard, tougher exterior with more emphasis on that muddy ‘boom bap’ experience, but I feel for this one he was aiming for a more polished and instinctive approach where he’s becoming more in tune with himself and music.
Although a change of pace (at least to me), for the man, it remains a solid-sounding record with plenty of depth, flavour, and complexity to go around, and I hope the loyal fans respect this for what it truly is!
As far as the man on the mic goes, he’s as strong as I’ve ever heard him. Since we last heard him on an album, he’s been building his confidence, his abilities, and his pen game to a point of no content. To such a level that makes him undeniable no matter who he might be up against, and it shows!
You can hear the refreshed hunger in his voice over these phenomenal beats. You can hear the evolution of his lyricism with more introspective lyricism and wordplay that showcases his various takes on street poetry and his fresh vocabulary to suit.
He’s got those lethal bars, verses, and puns on standby, ready to throw, and his naturally born wavy aura floods the tracks with enthusiasm, passion, and conviction! Across the ten tracks, he makes sure each breath he takes is done on point with the beat so that every song sounds like perfection!
As further proof of his self-confidence, the small roster he’s hired to accompany him on this album journey are three of the best in the world, period. They all spit some of the hardest verses to date, and he stands toe to toe with the best of them! It’s no surprise his chemistry with Dun as they are both family members, but his equal brotherhood standing with Pro and Mondo shines just as strong and evident on their respective tracks!
After months of waiting for the next solo album, I couldn’t be more happy! It’s got everything I could have wanted. Dope production, solid features, incredible performance by Top, growth, and quality all around!
If there’s any album you shouldn’t sleep on, it’s this one!
https://open.spotify.com/album/7HIni2aEj9RtywKOwya1Yl?si=1-XN6XJARYOZu7aKW7Q3IQ
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