Well, I can tell you all this much. I wasn’t expecting this! After covering his album with dope producer Hi-Q, I thought I had a sense of what I was getting myself into, but I was wrong. He’s pulled the rug from right under me and created a brand-new experience for me! So with that in mind, it’s time to dig in!
This is the brand-new album by MC Samuel Tafari and Producer Szyslak Productions with 16 tracks and the likes ofDJ TMD andSeiza as the only guests on the album!
I can’t even lie, man. That intro instrumental had me in shivers. That absolutely haunting and chilling chord progression had me going for a second. I was in a sort of shocked trance until it slowly transformed into a more traditional type hip
Hop beat! But I’ve never heard a beat start like that, absolutely insane!
The second track intro I found sick! As they sampled the vocals of legendary singerLeonard Cohen and his song ‘You Want It Darker’ off his 2016 album of the same title. (Fun fact, Leonard also narrated a 1994 documentary called ‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’, fun little nod there.) But regardless, this intro strongly follows the same eerie narrative as the first in what seems like a theme!
This song also transforms into a more booming hip-hop beat! I love how they continue to use the song snippets of Cohen! Makes for one of the more interesting songs of the whole album!
While the production on the album has its moments of haunting continuity, such as tracks likeLava Lamp with its dark interpretation of jazz horns or the songBeat The Count with its shrieking chord progressions and heavy bass notes, the rest of the album does seem to fit in the context of either lighter, more atmospheric vibes or straight, trademark hip-hop beats!
It does feel like a nice variation to work with as it gives a little something for everyone. But for me, those more darker shades of instrumentals left the longest-lasting impression on me that I couldn’t even shake. This producer is no joke!
As we come back to discuss Samuel, he’s a man with loads of talent and a distinct voice about him! He ain’t just about rapping per se, but each song he rocks, it’s as if he’s trying to tell a well-written and well-performed story! One with extremely vivid imagery, full of cold and calculating charisma, and enough technique to impress both the old and the new heads of hip hop!
He takes these instrumentals head-on! Whether it’s the gruelling, sombre ones, or the more refreshing and lighter ones, he effortlessly works through them and provides a different experience depending on the tone and style of the beats! Sometimes he’s more methodically charged and serious.
Other times he sounds aloof and carefree as he takes a dive into his more introspective feelings and emotions!
Other times it’s just straight, brash, and in-your-face lyricism that is designed to keep you on your toes and give the portion of the audience the type of ‘raw, gutter verbal assaults’ that they want out of Samuel! Just like with the production, he’s giving the audience what they want in all varieties of forms using his expertise of wordplay, pen game, and use of vocabulary!
I love how decisive, in-depth, and concentrated his flow is. He doesn’t fuck around; when he’s spitting bars, he’s doing so with intent! Each word means something in the grand scheme of things, and he puts it all there for a reason. It’s this type of approach to his raps that makes him such a profound artist to listen to!
Again, this was not at all what I was expecting, but I’m glad I listened to it because it’s going to be a game-changer. Make sure you give it a try and let me know how you feel!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 