(Smoke Wave 2)

This has been a review in the waiting. One of those occasions where my immense build-up of requests forced me to put this one on the sidelines until the right time. Today is that moment, and I’m ready to tackle a record that has all the details to become the album of the month! Let’s go!

This is the brand-new powerhouse collaboration sequel between MC’s Sayzee & Jamal Gasol, with production credits from the likes of: 

-Sayzee

-Fludust

-The Standouts

-Odd Father

-Leezy Boy Sr

-Sonny Carson

-Denny Laflare

-Halal Beats

-Finn

Now, you’d be right to at least assume that with so many names on the production, it runs the risk of being messy and all over the place stylistically, but you’d be wrong! Across this tape, we hear these nine men come together under one single vision to create a record so wavy and beautiful that it instantly becomes memorable and additive to the listener, and I feel that’s exactly what’s happened!

On this album, we hear beats that have influences of:

-Funk

-Art Rap

-Ambient

-Jazz

-Soul

– Boom Bap

And more. With this roster of names and their own unique personalities and skills, it gives each song its own distinctive sound instead of having 14 of the same song. You have all individual flavours that are bound to make every kind of rap fan content and happy! 

If I had to pick my favourite track off the whole record, it would have to be -Ally Oop (which is produced by Sayzee). The brand of influence he brings to the table is so fucking infectious and groovy that I found myself returning to this one more than the rest!

Firstly, you’ve got this angelic and gorgeously incorporated vocal harmony that sounds like an angel singing it! On top of that, we have these luscious violin strings, methodically paced drums, plucked bass strings, and some very light, random chord progressions that come and go in a glimmering fashion! 

Denny lit this song on heavenly fire, and it burned majestically! I fuck with every song on this record, but that stood out to me the most!

If we started talking about the MC dynamics between Jamal and Sayzee, then you’re talking about a duo that individually has been taking the culture by storm! So, of course, when they come back together after all the added experiences, exposure, and evolution that you’re naturally going to get, a better, stronger, and more crisp record than before is going to happen, and that’s what happened here!

On this album, we hear some of the best and most organic-sounding chemistry I’ve heard all year! They sound so fucking smooth in the way they toss the verses back and forth, the way they dominate the tracks, and the fact that they go completely featureless (besidesLord Juco), which proves that they know they have the ‘IT’ factor to hold a record down with just their abilities alone!

For two men who I’ve heard on complete opposite ends of the lanes as far as style and themes are concerned, they mesh so well as a team! It’s as if their personal egos come together as one to create one united mind that is determined to flex on as many people as possible and showcases the best of their combined abilities, and let me tell you, it works! 

You’re really doing yourself a disservice by not checking this out! I know I was late to the party, but this one is, as I predicted, one of the strongest records of the month and shows just how much a collaboration when done right can accomplish! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4xO5ppgeYQU69UMIIP9yHP?si=ACJiktYmTFqZA-ITHCEFlw

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