You know what, nothing beats the thrill of being reached out to by or discovering a brand new artist! What’s extra special to me is when they come because of my reviews being spread around, and that is honestly a feeling I can’t (and probably never will) be able to get used to.
So, in that respect, it’s time to cover these two new artists who I’m sure I will love because sometimes a vibe is all I need to tell if shits gonna be dope or not. I am the fucking serpent tongue for a reason!
This is the 9th of May release (thank god it wasn’t the 19th, have Kane on your ass on some demonic shit), and we have MC ZELL and Producer DEV ROGERS. And together they drop a 12-minute project featuring the likes of
-Flames Dot Malik
-Elcamino
-AL. DIVINO
And those are some underground heavy hitters for sure, and to say I loved this project is beyond a statement because for an EP less than 20 minutes, this thing goes ridiculous!
Let’s start with the production. This record utilises the best essence of what ‘underground’ represents! I’m talking surreal flipped vocal snippets, atmospheric instrumentation, beautifully executed inspirations, and a grand tone of larger than life meets gritty in a unity so well handled, it feels like the sonic marriage of the decade.
Let’s talk about some of these beats. We have ‘#5 SNOWFALL (BRICKS),’ which is just a symphony of gorgeous music, period. We have the skeleton of the track being this heavy boom bap drum beats, building off that we have these angelic soul vocal harmonies and a free-form jazz piano/jazz combination that spreads goosebumps around the whole body!
This shit goes beyond music and enters into majestic territory. Especially the last 40 seconds when we are hit with that spoken word sample combined with those orchestral vocals straight out of a medieval choir that is phenomenal to the very core.
We have the track ‘#7 HELL UP IN HARLEM’ which, as the title track sounds, is a deep dive into the gritty and haunting sounds of the boom bap underground. Going from one of the best collections of music you can expect on one song to one of the toughest and muddiest tracks you’ll ever hear that sounds like prime 90’s Mobb Deep! You’ve got those eerier piano keys and that skeletal drum pattern that makes you want to go out and kill a brother!
Not to mention Flame Dot’s ridiculous verse that amps up the track to that new level!
If you really want to talk aggressive, we have the finale track ‘#1.5 TRENCHES’ which features the most wild tracks of the EP. I’m talking sharp synth chords, a wailing vocal sample that is chilling to the bone, and a heavy bass that you can feel shake your brain!
Of course, we can’t ignore the duo of El Camino and Al Divino that perfectly captures the chaos and despair of this sound to a tee!
All this to say that the producer DEV was like a man possessed on this EP, giving us just 12 minutes to knock off his magnum opus! Crazy skill.
Talking about crazy skill, we have the MC in this equation ‘ZELL’. This man is a bat outta hell taking human form and here to fuck up the industry in a way no one saw coming. What’s scary impressive is how easily he could glide through this masterful production and not even break a sweat!
Across this EP, he gives us six tracks of pure microphone dominance. He’s a no-nonsense player, a in-your-face type spitter with vivid street poetry, powerful imagery, strong conviction, and an energy that most could only wish they had!
I love how he sounds on this project, ruthless, cunning, savage, and can back his energy all
up with his immense talent and sharp lyricism backed with a ridiculous pen game and flow that is so striking that it feels like an earthquake on the beat! Devastating blow after devastating blow!
Also, not to mention the fact he just shook off rhyming alongside the handful of some of the most iconic titans in the underground as if it was nothing! That is REAL SHIT, and he just demonstrated to me and to the audience that he’s one to look out for.
If you’re doubting anything I’ve said so far, go play the album below and see for yourself! These guys are a match made in heaven, and they are going to go far in the industry!
https://open.spotify.com/album/6gnAqRtiBvpBmpjBnLVr2U?si=TG0V-qGHT1G2M6kB4ns8Vg
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 