I already love this album. Who else calls their album ‘It Ain’t A Game’ and has the first track be called ‘Nintendo Flow?’ That’s wild! That kind of wit ain’t easy to find in the industry, and I know it may seem a small detail to you, but to me, it speaks volumes about the mindset of this duo! So let’s talk about it!
This is the 2025 drop by the combination of MC Tetri$ (another game reference) and Producer TONEBOLO, and together they drop a solid eight tracks with the likes of
– The Sgt
– Kyle Bethel
– Bald Head
– Crack MeaNa
And it’s been a minute since I last covered a project where everyone is new to me! (How exciting is that!) Anyway, the album
So, I gotta talk about the MC work first. You know who this reminds me of? It might be an obscure reference to most, but does anyone remember DRAM? And how he had two years of absolute PEAK and vibe in the industry? This is exactly the same aura I’m feeling! A man with a rare charisma and energy to him that coats every breath, word, and bar he spits!
That kind of restless, feel-good energy that you can’t fake.
Sure, he has a handful of brash and thug bars, but even so, the amount of chill, atmospheric, and warm intention lyricism outweighs the gritty ones!
I love his honest, expressive, and emotional nature! He sounds like someone who is excited to get into the studio, and all his recordings are one-take shots! The way he captures his adventurous spirit and his passionate thoughts is just so infectious to listen to!
On top of his actual performance, he has a smooth flow, an excellent vocabulary, a way with words that is equal parts vivid and explosive with colour and verbal fireworks!
He’s the kind of MC/Guy you’d want to be friends with, the kind of guy who would have such a powerful and influential cadence to watch live! Like prime Chance The Rapper, a man who draws everyone to him just by being his organic/natural self! I can’t stress this enough, his personality is so fucking cool, and the way he’s able to mesh it into the verses is absolutely incredible!
No ordinary producer can be cast to put emphasis on that kind of energy, and that’s where TONEBOLO comes into the picture! Someone new to me, but after this, I swear he’ll be on my watchlist! His production is ridiculous!
What struck me first and foremost about the production was the amount of fresh, untainted sonic bursts coming out of the songs!
Like, you ever listen to an album (whether you enjoy said project or not) and you can’t help but hear the cliché manufactured sounds or keys that every other person uses and makes you in the back of your mind remember you’re listening to a ‘construction’ rather than an expression! Well, this feels like the free spirit of music! It’s so vibrant and fun and catchy and unpredictable that you can’t help but love it!
So many songs have this wavy, light, ambient quality to it that before you know it, you catch your head bobbing left and right to the melodies!
From the more soulful cuts to the more experimental cuts, every song triggers my imagination to the fullest extent! It’s the kind of score that makes you feel like you’ve smoked the strongest blunt you’ve ever had and you’re just sitting back, vibing to the effects!
This man understood the assignment PERFECTLY as to what Tetri$ would need to accelerate his own performances! This duo is like the underground Justin Timberlake/Timberland or Eminem/Dr. Dre or RZA/Wu-Tang; whatever example you want to use, these two shine together stronger than I’ve heard most!
The features on this album also contribute fire verses that help make the selected tracks become memorable stand-outs and help with the overall atmosphere of the album! Shoutout to all the MC’s!
Although this came out last year, I fucking wish I had discovered it earlier because I would have definitely added it to my monthly list! This is one of the most underrated and unique records I’ve heard, period. The link is below, so go check it out!
https://open.spotify.com/album/4CmMMBNTL3x2s8QeZN9ufy?si=GlOTXY38S3qNIGICTun2Zw
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