That anticipated moment is finally here! The release of a record that had everyone on the tips of their toes, just waiting for its official arrival after the riveting few singles we got. I can say with ambled excitement that it’s time to cover what is sure to be considered ‘Album of the Year’.
This is the grand collaboration between MC J Scienide and Producer Giallo Point. Both men made an impact in the recent month with the aforementioned promotion tracks that had the whole culture begging for more, and now we get a whole 12-song set with the likes of
-SonnyJim
-Phyba
And with those two names alone, we get to witness a record that is equal parts beautiful and direct.
Let’s discuss Giallo first and his contributions because he’s had a storybook career these past few years with a who’s who of artists under his belt and his creative mind expanding with every new drop.
On this one, we hear a side of him that sounds more refined and stripped back compared to normal.
I noticed there are a lot of songs with only a small handful of elements that have been pushed and emphasised in such a way as to draw out their natural rhythm and colours that aren’t drained or blocked by an overcrowding of other layers that would otherwise ruin such intricate sounds!
We can look at tracks like ‘Illegal’ where we hear Giallo utilise those looping horns, those sticky bass notes, and muddy mesmerising drums. Sure, we have those intro keys that provide an ‘interlude’ to the track or even those 80’s inspired cuts and scratches, but for the most part, it’s just the same small handful of sounds.
Or even if we look at the track ‘Avocado’, which might be hands down my favourite beat on this album because it has that phenomenal intro with those heavy jazz piano keys that evolve into a luxury edition of what you’d expect from a hold music atmosphere but with quality instruments and definite production!
You’ve got those flaming keys as well as those background looping chords that provide the bass and structure to the whole instrumental!
Pretty much, Giallo is working on how much he can accomplish with the minimum and elevate those prospects to even greater heights and propel his legacy that much higher! One of his best scores yet!
Talking about great scores, we have J Scienide. A man I hadn’t heard of until this project and now a man I can’t imagine my playlist not having. He has such a distinctive voice and rhythm that makes him sound like a combination of Black Thought and Common.
He doesn’t just rap; he breathes life into the production itself. It’s as if he’s one with the instrumentals and has fused his heart, brain, and soul with the grooves and in return creates perfect flow, rhythms, and melodies that make him act like a walking, talking instrument himself!
I have to mention his writing as well, because it’s absolutely superb. He is spitting mini vivid stories in each verse, stories you can feel, hear, touch, and taste with every extra bar and sentence he spits!
The kind of lyricism you could give to directors to make a mini show based on his imagery alone; he’s just that descriptive! Whether he’s spitting bragging bars or conceptual/meaningful bars, they all feel cinematic and grand in execution, which is definitely a rare feat for a rapper to do!
Although only two features, he makes sure to provide the best chemistry possible. Each feature track does add that necessary flare and fire that you’d expect from a guest MC to have. Nothing worse than hearing another name only for them to either hit a subpar performance or add nothing at all to the track.
Thankfully, that’s not the case! I can safely say both hit their respective marks and elevate the tracks!
So, why wait? Go listen to the album today and feel the atmosphere that is Giallo and J!
https://open.spotify.com/album/6pTuzZeyfqnJoWKjZDNo3y?si=ZZZBjJxvTTKDOG2R96JLkQ
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 