It’s always an exciting experience to discover a new artist. Especially one who is getting buzz from veterans in the game! Whenever I see traction or that magnitude, I can’t help but tune in, and after listening to the album, I can definitely tell why!
This is the brand new record by MC and producer Toplist Magnetic, who, alongside producerAllah God Balil, features with
-ROYALONE777
-ESTEE NACK
-??? (THE HIDDEN CHARACTER)
And I’ll tell you right now, the production on this thing is incredible. It has a certain level of ‘Noir’ elements in its execution. From that compelling intro that sounds like a black-and-white movie scene from the 1950s with those long, eerie horns and methodical drums, we have the interlude that will prove the blueprint for the rest of the record.
As the album continues, we get a score that is equal parts cinematic and raw. The instrumentation itself feels rough around the edges, which gives it that ‘old school’ aura like you’re listening to a classic vinyl or cassette tape. High quality without the sin of over-polishing and taking away any organic essence the record had on its own!
If we’re talking about tracks like ‘WAR ARTISTRY 101’, we see how technical and creative the production really is. This track has infectiously funky chord progression that is placed in a subtle loop, accompanied by light keys in the background and a hypnotic drum track that all comes together for a track so memorable and mesmerising that it will be stuck in your head for weeks!
Even the track ‘ROYAL HISTORY’, which truly does have this ‘royal’ high-end feel to it. Those methodically paced piano keys accompanied by those subtle vocal hums make this feel like a hip-hop equivalent of a soundtrack I’d hear from medieval times!
Those raw drums help package the whole track into a time capsule of elegant sounds that is bound to give you goosebumps!
The production on this album has so many surprises, and I don’t want to spoil and reveal all of them, but trust me, you ain’t ever heard sounds like these! They are grand, original, and muddy all in one. You’ve got that tough grit of the boom bap underground combined with theatrical elements that come together in the best way possible!
Now, onto the MC work. This man, Toplist, is one of the most unique and standout voices I’ve heard in a while. He has such a great personality and charisma about him that it makes every bar he spits sound like important information that you want to hear every word about!
He has a straightforward and groovy flow with a sharp pen game filled with everything from clever one-liners, street poetry, and introspective thoughts landing on paper that it feels like he’s letting whatever he’s thinking as he goes into the studio to record go onto the beat, and this level of ‘freelance’ performance is definitely innovative and fun to listen to!
He has such a distinct voice that I could definitely tell him apart from a cypher or group of features. This man, Toplist, has energy for days, conviction, and an animated style of rapping that makes me feel I’m listening to the performance of a lifetime!
The features on this track also go HARD (as expected), providing great chemistry and showcasing just how skilled Toplist is considering how easily he can hold his own against legendary names like those!
I gotta show love and respect to this man for providing one of the most original and adventurous records of the year! And guaranteed to have him on my radar from now on!
https://toplist-magnetic.bandcamp.com/album/no-faith-no-hope
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