What can I say about Ant Kelly? I’ve discovered so many different versions of this man. From that first project I was sent where he was on that NEMS energy (which was my least version of him) to his album ‘DIVINEWISDOM’ which highlights his improvement and his creative side and made it to my June award ceremony!
And now we have this one and after all the progress I heard this man go through I had nothing but high hopes and now that I’ve heard it, how do I feel? Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand new album by MC ANT KELLY! Featuring producers
-SketchTurner
-DJ Krooked
And MC’s such as
-King Adroit
-LORD LUCAS
-Audio Messiah
-Arsinel
-Black Silq
-Miskeen Haleem
-war will kill
And with his powerful roster on his behalf I have to admit. This album fucking ROCKS! I’m thoroughly impressed, the end.
Nah, wouldn’t do Ant like that but I ain’t lying this thing surprised me in so many ways! Let’s start with the MC first because as I hoped it seems he’s evolved again and has combined his extensive creativity and developed lyricism and pen game to create verses that are sharp, interesting and powerful in execution!
Like his first verse on the intro track how he was telling a vivid story and you can envision yourself right there with him in his story! It means he’s improved his storytelling aspects! But not only that he’s also worked on the smoothness of his flow and his vocabulary to the point where he’s spitting bars that make you think and mean-mug simultaneously!
You can hear his confidence at an all-time high on this album! I mean he wouldn’t invite the level of MC talent he has on this record if he wasn’t sure he could compete and stand tall with them and I can safely say he deserves all the credit! He’s not only keeping up with these names but he’s delivering his own unique style and charisma that stands out loud and strong on the album!
He’s always had an interesting and stand-out style (even back on the EP I wasn’t a fan of too much), but I could tell if he just worked on himself, he could be one of the greats, and after hearing his verses on here, he’s finally on that path, and it’s exciting!
As for the names on here, my favourite verses would have to be from either Silq or Messiah! Both have been on my replay list since this whole year, and to hear them over his lavish production definitely is something special! Shoutout to the others as well who also killed it!
Speaking of lavish production, we have one man who I fuck with and talk with, heavy DJ Krooked! Even from that first Ant album I was sent (by him), his production has stood out to me, and he’s only
gotten better and better over just a few months! This album is a further example of his inherent talent and masterful execution!
The other man I haven’t heard until now in Sketch, but both these men help create this mesmerising atmosphere that soothes the brain and relaxes the soul! There’s a lot of jazz, funk, and soul elements mixed in with underground hip hop and done in such a phenomenal way that I found it hard to write this as the production kept sweeping me away!
My two favourite beats would have to be ‘Aristotle & Ares’, it has these thick bass lines, infectious drum patterns, and some of the most interesting and powerful vocal harmonies for the sample loop that just takes this track to a whole new level! There’s also a slight, subtle vocal note in the background, which is also nice!
There’s also the track ‘Secret Sauce’ because of its raw, minimal yet gorgeous, elegant piano keys and that James Blake style vocal loops combined with those heavy-handed drums and plucked strings make for one of the most ambitious and beautiful songs on the whole album, not to mention the best idea for an intro track!
All this to say, this album is the definition of a home run. From the insane production to the evolution of Ant from a mere few months! And those dope features, this is the album I wanted him to make, and he finally did! Shoutout to everyone involved!!
https://open.spotify.com/album/3I3Tkhaa5hNjtbW743HOfH?si=eaj_syIiSf2aCeP2JRvF8Q
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