Maybe it’s just because this is the year I started my website, and so I’ve been paying attention more, but I swear everyone in the underground this year is sworn on being more prolific and up their releases more compared to other years, and none envision that spirit more than this man, GUSTAVO! With countless records under his belt in 2025 already, he’s showing no signs of stopping! So let’s talk about it.
Brand new album by MC Gustavo Louis and producer Jaybe Ill, and together they drop eight tracks with the likes of
– Flypaper Blake
– Earn Dinero
– Jules Clay
And when I first saw this tape (based on the album cover and name of the record), I fully expected the production to be from the legendary Stevie Wonder album ‘Hotter Than July’, and that had me honestly curious to see how the hell he was supposed to convert his rap form into these reggae/soul-fuelled beats, but it seems instead we have Jaybe bring forth his own instrumentals that are merely inspired by that record and provide his own flavour and atmosphere to complement and pay homage to the record!
All of these beats (in the fashion of that Stevie record) have a more soulful, mellow, and softer approach than most Gustavo records in the past! Utilising elements of those subtly plucked strings or organic piano, light drum patterns, it’s got every element of a paying homage to the 80’s era with these angelic melodies and hypnotic atmosphere, which I thoroughly enjoyed!
This album runs rather smoothly and fluently! Nothing can be worse when you think a record is going to follow a specific structure or direction only for it to change course a few songs in and ruin the vibe, but thankfully it doesn’t happen on here; it’s just eight songs of classic-sounding music that is soothing to the ear!
Also, eight songs for half an hour? That has to be one of the longer projects considering the tracks that Gustavo has done in a minute, proving the attention to detail he’s trying to emulate, and Jaybe does those beats justice!
As far as Gustavo goes, just like the producer, he also does his best to live up to the name and legend of Stevie Wonder by focusing his lyricism on various puns, one-liners, and different phrases relating to his classic album, which was a nice switch-up in his pen game.
Besides that, he does his best to insert his own natural charisma and street talk and verbal assaults across the album to maintain his eccentric bars and wordplay that leaves him a powerhouse in the underground!
He seems to be coming in with a stronger cadence than normal, higher energy, more character, and a more unpredictable flow per song! Maybe he’s trying to push the boundaries more to represent what this album did for Stevie’s career!
As mentioned above, he ain’t alone as he’s brought some of his closest associates to help bring further fire to the record, and they do exactly that, spread across the album, and dropping some of the dopest verses I’ve heard them on all year!
I do appreciate the fact that his creativity won’t let him get stuck into one specific lane, and I’m very happy he had the chance to rap over original beats! As much as I appreciate his NARCO MIX’s, I’m craving more original music, and that’s exactly what I got from him, and I loved it!
So, make sure you give this new record a chance and see how he pays homage to one of the greatest in the music industry!
https://open.spotify.com/album/1X9UkqZqRJbKIvMJPnhE0m?si=r0c7J3WBQnmyZ6heQeOjbQ
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 