Man, I fucking love concept albums. The very premise of a ‘Concept’ album is that the artist or band is thinking of a theme or idea to utilise in music form! It means they are thinking and activating their creative genius, and no more evident is this than here! With an idea so deep that I found myself hooked on this album before I even pressed play. Let’s get into it!
This is the brand-new album by MC Yasin and producer Clypto, and together they drop a solid 13 tracks featuring the likes of
-Eloh Kush
-Tim Jones
And get this (as the Bandcamp description tells us): this album is based off the premise that Michael from ‘The Godfather’ knew everything was going to happen prior to YESTERDAY!
Yes, you read that correctly. What a fucking concept! One of my favourite movies showcased in this manner is beyond exciting! And that puts both men in my good books for life just for executing it!
So, let’s start with the production aspect. Because to match such a grand idea, you’d need the perfect soundscape to work with, and that’s where Clypto comes in! Working with a whole arrangement of sounds and influences, he brings to the table a variation of softer cuts, classical styles, hard-hitting and funky instrumentals all to replicate the roller coaster ride of the film itself!
Whether you are talking about more sombre cuts such as -Michael In The Restaurant with that bare vocal loop done in two different layers, one a male voice in the forefront and the other in a shorter female snippet following behind the main one! I also love how that main vocal harmony evolves into a full sentence throughout the song!
This song also provides us with some plucked strings and light drum work that all adds up to create a slow burner that makes you think about life! (Not to mention that smooth flute sample!)
There are more upbeat cuts such as -Hang Gliders that has a more late 70’s early 80’s funk/soul vibe to it! You’ve got those upbeat vocal choir style loops accompanied by those light horns in the background and those groovy piano keys that sound full of life with every note!
It sounds like celebration, like victory, like SUCCESS! The kind beats Stevie Wonder would make just full of spirit and happiness! Such a dope cut!
(Not to mention Eloh’s dope verse!)
We even have cuts like -Holy Water which has one of the more ambitious sonic layouts of the whole album! With that insane vocal snippet that repeats in one-second intervals as well as the plucked strings and that high-pitch chord progression that all in all makes this both one of the more skeletal joints but also one of the most memorable due to its out-there nature!
This song sounds like contemplation and mystery. Like ‘The Godfather’ thinking of his next move and planning accordingly!
Point is, every song on this album (to me) represents a different concept and stage of process. As if to replicate what the film so perfectly represents! An absolutely phenomenal job by Clypto!
Now, I mean as far as bars go. After I’ve described what it’s about, you think the pen game gonna be lacking? Of course not! This is Yasin showcasing his lyrical genius by strategically setting up verses and bars that represent the notion of the concept he created.
So think of his work here as a running film/story just like ‘The Godfather’ from the interlude, to the middle to the outro and everything in between. He’s single-handedly spinning his own grand narrative and using Hip Hop as the medium to do so!
Of course, every now and then we hear his brash side come on, he drops the occasional in-your-face, brag bar to remind the audience and the culture who the fuck he is, but for the most part, he keeps it relevant. Every song is layered with verbal references, in-depth conceptual work and colourful expressions and performances to really bring this album to life!
He’s a grand author with a compelling sense of storytelling and drama! I mean, already trying to breathe life into an already legendary film is hard enough, but to do it in an underground hip-hop scale? A tough task indeed, and he absolutely nailed it!
If you are just someone who only cares about club bangers and hit singles. This probably won’t be for you! But if you can appreciate the art of storytelling and a strong conceptual approach, then you will love this! Bandcamp link below— go click, buy, support, and listen and feel the excitement!
https://yasin3.bandcamp.com/album/m-i-k-e-y-maybe-i-knew-everything-yesterday-4
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