(A PLEASANT SURPRISE)

The title of this album says it all. This is the definition of a ‘Pleasant Surprise’ because A: I get to discover a man who has been making waves in the underground for a minute now and B: I get to open the present that is this producer’s work. A man who is a legend among legends, a man who has released nothing but flames since I’ve known him, and now that he’s working with one of the most underrated MC’s going right now, this album is sure to be nothing if not EXCELLENT. 

This is the brand-new collaboration between MC Freddie Black and Producer Tone Spliff. Together, they drop a solid 10-track extravaganza that features the likes of 

-Mo Rukuz

-Miles Grimez

-King Hansom

And today I’ll start with Freddie. As I mentioned in the intro, he is easily one of the most overlooked rappers we have right now, which is criminal because he’s able to hit lyrical home runs unlike many others, and that’s WITHOUT TONE. With? Nah, it’s a wrap.

Across this project, we hear Freddie at his absolute prime performance. I’m talking bar after bar, sharp lyricism, powerful cadence, and an energy so deadly he’s able to make anyone he’s in the booth with drop dead from the second-hand feel! 

It’s been a minute since I heard a man so smooth; every word he spit across this project felt like diamonds but as fluent as a bird through the clouds! So nice his razor rhythm wouldn’t be noticed until the heads start rolling anime style!

Sometimes a chemistry between an MC and a producer is so well-rounded that it amplifies both men involved to produce their peak skills, and as nice as Freddie is normally, I feel having a legend like Tone in his corner has helped in his delivery of these surreal scenes of vocabulary brilliance that pays homage to the old-school hip-hop era. 

Speaking of chemistry, I was beyond static to see Mo Rukuz back on a track! He’s my main man, and he absolutely nailed his verse! Forever a grime lord in his execution, he turns any track into a violent whirlwind of street poetry! 

As criminal as it is that Freddie is underrated, I refuse to believe the same can be said about the man behind the beats, Tone. This man has been in legendary status for at least the last decade, if not more. Whatever he touches turns classic, and this record is no exception.

He’s an absolute monster with these beats, and to be as frank as possible. His production right now is the beats I wish DJ Premier was on in his career right now. So to me, Tone has surpassed the GOAT himself and became the new standard to beat.

Every instrumental on this 10-track masterpiece is phenomenal (to say the least). This man has honed his craft to such an extent that with every album, I feel like I’m transported into a realm neither between the golden 90s nor the current day, with something in between that utilises the best of both worlds!

Right off the fucking bat, this album goes HARD with that beat ‘DESTINY MANIFEST’ with those heavy thudding drums , choir-style vocals, and plucked strings, and his trademark cuts and scratches  that literally remind me something Gang Starr in their prime would have made! 

And even the outro track ‘THANK GOD’ with those heavy yet intricate jazz-inspired piano keys that are quickly paired with those in-your-face drums and organ chords! The closing beat is equal parts minimal and powerful! 

He starts off tremendous and ends even more so. Tone provides the culture with hip-hop overtures that are made to stand the test of time. He prioritises QUALITY over everything else. A man who drilled his work ethic in the old-school era back when that shit mattered, and that’s why he’s one of the few players who can always expect a warm reception whenever he drops! 

This album, man, my words couldn’t hope to do it 1/10th of the justice it deserves. If you don’t listen to this, just know you’re choosing to ignore real-time hip-hop history, and you’ll be the regretful one for it!

https://tonespliff.bandcamp.com/album/a-pleasant-surprise