Oh shit, what a surprise drop! Two of the hottest artists in the underground at the moment coming together for a full-length? Nah, that’s too good to be true, and yet here we are! We gotta get into this ASAP! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new project between MC AU and Producer Lo Katana! And together they drop a solid 8-track offering featuring the likes of
-BlackMugen
-067Red
-Ant Kelly
-Lo Katana
And I feel like I gotta discuss Lo first. I’ve made the statement in his other joints that this man is gonna be someone to look out for in the coming year as he’s been growing at a ridiculous rate, and this album confirms my theory of his advancement in such a rate that he’s going to be THE powerhouse producer in the next few years! He’s been dropping underrated gems all year, and this is the way he decides to end 2025? Absolutely phenomenal!
This production reads like a Jazz X Soul infused fever dream! Listening to this album sounds like you were teleported to the drama of the 70s and 80s, with the instrumentals mirroring the theatrical soundtrack of the chaos of that time period in the most gorgeous way possible.
This album somehow sounds like the combination of
-Lethal Weapon
-Old School pay-for-sexting advertisements
-Infomercials
-Jazz Clubs
-Art Rap and more, all combined. This production feels like an album and more like a revealing score of past indulgences that rushes through your soul the minute you press play.
My favourite aspect of these 8 tracks is the heavy Jazz elements. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for Jazz-infused Hip Hop, and this album does it on a whole different level! From those grand horns and manipulated piano keys that sound plucked in this distorted, elegant fashion that I absolutely fell in love with!
Combine that with those minimally layered & skeletal track executions, and you have a recipe for greatness that I can’t get enough of!
I knew prior to even listening to this that this would be an unbelievable project, but I didn’t expect it to be THIS GOOD! Maybe it’s just me being easily impressed, but I swear it’s scary the amount of progress and quality of this new generation of cats in the underground. There are so many just like Lo who I’ve heard rise and elevate to new heights that I swear were unheard even 5 years ago! He’s going to show you next year just how good he can get, MARK MY WORDS!
You know who else is part of that scary, fast growth generation? AU! I’ve been keeping track of him for, I’d say, 4 months? Maybe more? And even in that short amount of time, he’s impressed me more and more with each new single, EP, and album.
Initially, what impressed me about him was his creative and versatile mind! The fact that each single or record he dropped sounded different from the rest and he was confident enough to explore an array of sounds, genres, and influences!
As I’ve continued to follow his progress, I’ve noticed his quality control not only being steady but improving with each new drop! He’s starting to drop an underrated record with each new album as he is honing his skills, testing the limits of his originality, building up a larger-than-life atmosphere, and building friendships with men who have been able to match his enthusiasm and energy on previous singles and EP’s/albums and now onto this one!
Across this tape, we hear his performances get stronger and more crisp. He’s sounding like a million-dollar rapper on this project as he flaunts his incredible verse complexities, his incredible vocabulary, his smooth and brash flow, as well as his adaptability with any production he’s on (especially a score as renowned as this one). He can create natural synchronicity with anyone or any beat!
He has a certain confidence about him that I’ve felt growing ever so slightly over his releases, he’s always sounded dope to me but I could sense that untapped potential way back then and to see it unfold the way it has and explode into an MC that I firmly believe can stand toe to toe with anyone? Is an incredible feat!
Such is the case when he raps alongside Ant Kelly and 067Red! Two unbelievable MC’s who brought their best foot forward and yet AU was able to match them effectively and effortlessly! Not to mention the producer himself had a verse! He’s an all rounder!
This record might be AU’s ‘Magnum Opus’ so far. I felt this was undeniable considering who he partnered with on production but this shit is next level! I was having a profound astral experience while sober! If this is a sign of things to come then these two (along with a handful of others) are gonna make the underground one of the, scratch that THE PLACE TO BE for modern day classics going forward and maintaining it’s iconic history and culture! Listen now below!
https://au205.bandcamp.com/album/the-sentrys-lullaby
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 