I’m beyond excited that I get to cover this man again. I can legitimately say he’s one of the few I enjoyed talking shit with outside of the music, a real, genuine dude, and his songs hit even harder. From EP’s to singles, he always had an interesting sound that was unlike any other, and now he’s back to flaunt that originality in the face of the culture once again! Let’s go!
This is the brand-new EP by MC/Producer Bugsy Mogues, who is accompanied by producer Chandler Ward (on tracks 2 & 5) as these two help bring to life one of the most soulful and funky EP’s you’ll hear all year.
Right off the bat from the first track in -GIMME THREE, we get this minimalistic fever dream that just melts in your headphones.
You’ve got those heavenly chord progressions combined with a second layer of sharp violin-sounding chords, some vocal snippets that sound angelic as all hell, and some subtle bass lines and a faint trace of piano keys that go off ever so lightly!
On the second track -SUPA, we get a heavy dose of the 70s with this funk meets soul experience that relives all your stress in seconds! You’ve got that combination pairing of that funky chord progression and what sounds like jazz-inspired piano keys and methodically paced drum patterns!
What’s beautiful about this track is that the beat just plays uninterrupted for the last 20 seconds or so and just rides off gracefully, truly reminiscent of that era when artists and producers didn’t know how to close a track, so they just let it play and just slowly fade it out! Legendary shit.
Track 3 -IN THE RAIN (FREESTYLE) we have another blast to the past with those absolutely gorgeous jazz horns combined with those key notes and some real slow-paced, heavy drums that almost sound like a bass drum! Either way, this feels like some shit Phil Collins would have made in his hayday!
From the glistening keys to those hard drums and horns? Nah, this is pure bliss in a bottle!
Track 4-VAFFANCULO, we have what sounds like an Asian influence with what sounds like a type of flute loop sample running through the track. There’s also thick Thundercat-reminiscent bass, plucked strings, and some light keys! What a combination of sounds. I don’t even know how to explain how this comes together, but it’s truly WAVEY in every single way!
The final track -WISH YOU WOULD ends the album with a bang of more soul and funk! You’ve got some delicious bass strings that can’t help but make you groove! Some light vocal harmony loop and some heavy-pressed piano keys! This is one of those instrumentals that I could imagine Gorillaz making! It’s infectiously hypnotic! I was walking around my room listening to this shit with a pimp walk I didn’t know I had!
Not to fucking mention those free-style piano keys to end the track off? Nah, these two were TRIPPIN’! On this one!
Across all these tracks, Bugsy showcases his expert performance and charisma. It’s the one thing I’ve appreciated most about him as an artist: his natural talent to engage the audience with his voice, bars, and general aesthetic! He’s just a groovy cat, period.
What he can do with words and delivery can’t be bought or taught. It’s just something you have! Like a specific tang to the tongue, a certain type of pronunciation, or draw in the way you spit your verses!
It’s like when you listen to Slick Rick or Jay-Z or, fuck it, Sticky Fingaz. No one can sound like them, even if you tried, you can’t replicate that type of natural cadence they bring to the table, as you can’t hope to replicate his! Each of the five tracks he’s booming with colour, sharp wit, and lyricism that feels exciting and entertaining to listen to! He always throws a variety of topics out there to leave the audience guessing what he’s going to be on next!
Sometimes it’s personal, sometimes it’s conceptual, sometimes it’s just brag bars for the sake of bragging! It’s the same controlled chaos vibe he’s always spreading, and it just feels more fun and perfected this time around!
So yeah, I guarantee you won’t find an EP like this, period! It’s got memorable instrumentals and bars that will make you come back for more!
https://open.spotify.com/album/1oGhpma2j9Alv1E39x6h3t?si=DEX9UISERlGHSktZp8_Kuw
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