(Apotheosis)

I gotta admit, when I first saw this duo on an album, I had so many questions. ‘Is this a duo producer record?’, ‘Is there a hidden rapper on here?’, ‘Did they both pick up rapping and this is somehow an A-Cappella record?’ 

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Lo is actually a MC! With that in mind, the idea of him rapping over this man’s production had me more excited by the second, so with that in mind, let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new collaboration effort between MC Lo Katana and Producer YFI, and together they drop a solid 13 tracks that consist of the following:

-FLYG

-BlackMugen

-King Adroit

-Heartbreak Jodeci

-AU

-Cornerboi P

-Zarah Zion

And man, I can’t lie. It’s still a bit fresh to my ears to hear Lo on the mic! I spent the better part of 2025 hearing him on the beats, and then I still have drilled into my memory a hit sending me a voice message, and I realised he has a thick UK accent that blew me away! So hearing him rap is still an exciting new prospect to me, but damn can he do it well!

Across this tape, he converts all the same effort, energy, and efficiency he once put into production now onto the verses.

He’s surprisingly charismatic! He has a loud voice that he uses to pronounce his intentions and thoughts into the universe, and he has quite the technical skill, meaning on some songs we hear him unleash his overbearing cadence and aura with straightforward verbal mannerisms and bars!

On other songs, we hear him go more complex and utilise fast-paced verses with lots of words packed into one song with crazy one-liners, puns, and phrases to keep the mind spinning! 

To me, it feels like he’s got that young man’s fresh energy. That same optimistic attitude when you first get into something and you feel on top of the world, untouchable! When you are in the ‘honeymoon’ stage with whatever it is you’re doing! That’s the unbleached, raw, and rugged performance I’m getting from him, which speaks volumes to his skills, musical passion, and conviction!

Also what’s impressive is the fact he can have banging chemistry with the best of them! I’ve covered most of the features here and they ain’t easy to keep up with but to Lo, it ain’t nothing but a normal day in the studio! Impressive for sure!

He’s one hell of an MC. I feel if he continues to focus on his rapping, by the end of 2026 he could be an absolute monster in the field!

As far as the production goes, this is a man I’m definitely no stranger to! I’ve covered so many of his singles, albums, and he’s never been one to disappoint! He’s shown time and time again that he can work with anyone and make magic, and he’s doing the same here again!

Across this tape, we are getting the more atmospheric and ambient elements that we’ve seen him utilise over last year, but this time in a more concentrated manner as we get to feel the depths and layers he’s attached to each and every instrumental on this project!

This feels like his most cohesive score yet. You can feel the dedication, the effort put in, the emotion he poured into the music; it’s felt and embraced throughout the body. From the more soulful cuts as _CASSETTES&VHS or his more funky cuts like _SWORDOFDAMOCLES exert influence and variant is done with the utmost care and mastery that only he could pull off. Knowing the talent he has in his grasp, he made sure the instrumentals were themselves an extension of Lo and his associates, and because of that, each second feels like the perfect synchronicity instead of just a random bunch of tracks with no rhyme or reason! 

Considering this is 35 minutes, it honestly flies by. It’s because of the fluent motion and soundscape this man has set up. This is the type of album you will put on and get mentally lost in and have your imagination running wild as you enter a state of bliss until you’re released as the last second passes by. 

It’s crazy the amount of cohesion spread across this album. It goes beyond what you would (well, what I would expect) an album to have, and yet it feels personal and unique! It feels intimate and sacred, which is the level of respect for an album I love more than anything!

This is beyond the best way to start the year for both men. This is a STATEMENT, one that reads ‘don’t sleep on us’, and after hearing this one, I guarantee no one will again!

https://open.spotify.com/album/03ocv6ySbxp4NVIpSLfpo9?si=9Lcu4GsQTEOBIBafjJOjFA