I live by a pretty simple rule: if Tone drops a record, I support it! This man has been with me through most of my reinventions and failures before getting to this point. He’s seen me do my Facebook reviews to now, and that kind of support you can’t buy, so he’s always someone I’ll prioritise! Not to mention I legitimately feel he’s one of the best producers out right now, so I never have to worry about his work; anyone he works with ends up sounding like gold, and this time is no exception! So let’s get into it!
This is the brand-new album by MC Benny Slumz and legendary producer Tone Spliff. Together, they drop a solid 10-track album that is sure to impress the audience and put the culture on hold!
Firstly, I want to say, I love what they did with the intro: with that news report-style introduction that evolves into Benny rapping, it makes for a cinematic interlude and sets high standards for him to go off on!
As we hear him rap, we hear a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and utilises his passion and love for the game to craft some of the most lively and engaging verses you’ll hear. To the uncultured, it may seem like he’s just rapping the usual underground monotone bars you hear from everyone else, but he’s different. Why?
Because if you really listen to the words he’s spitting, you can hear him putting his thoughts, personal feelings, and adversities on the paper for all to see and hear. It’s not every day a rapper bares his soul into the music— every insecurity, conflict, and consequence as well as the triumphs, successes, and blessings that have come since continuing this rap shit. He’s showcasing the good and the bad, and it’s in that vulnerability that makes him such a strong MC and artist to pay attention to!
That’s not even including talking about his sharp lyricism, his powerful presence and no-nonsense flow as well as his raw charisma that makes him sound like a ghetto preacher who is fluent in street poetry. It’s relentless, eye-opening and ever so refreshing to hear a style of his that has perfected the core basics of this rap shit and is now using it to his advantage. Absolutely killed performance!
When we get into the production side of things! We hear tone in his usual bag of excellence. I’m talking about that bombastic, heavy, raw, 90’s-inspired hip hop sound with a clean finish and slick instrumentation!
He’s the master at being able to properly fuse the combination of modern-day underground and classic old school to create a goth-fresh and nostalgic sound that everyone can dig!
As usual, it’s well-structured, cohesive and excellently executed instrumentals that feel heavy yet crisp and deliver a hard punch! Such is the lead single for the record ‘P.W.B’ with those glistening chords, those thudding bass sounds and the introduction of those hypnotic drums that turn this minimal layered track into a banger that will stay in your mind for months!
I also love the light usage of the vocal snippets that entice the track!
Each track feels like a love letter to the golden era as he is a student of that time and he’s taking what he’s learnt and incorporating it into the present day with all the new knowledge and techniques he’s developed over the years. The perfect sponge for the culture and one who is never afraid to evolve but also never forgetting to stick to his roots (walking that fine line).
Each track is memorable, infectious and clean. Just like with his last offering ‘A Pleasant Surprise’, how he focused on quality first then the music itself. He’s always working on the most important things to give each drop the maximum replay value and I feel this one might be his strongest yet!
So tune in, go buy the album and support the duo that is making quality music for the underground! Trust me you won’t regret it!
https://tonespliff.bandcamp.com/album/behind-the-smile
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