If I had to rank someone who has two underrated discographies in the last few years, it would have to be Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard. I first heard him on the album produced by Hi-Q, and since then, he’s continued to impress me with his originality and quality control! And now he’s back with a brother in arms and a range of names to help this record up! So let’s talk about it!
This is the massive, brand-new album by MC’s Knownaz EVIL & Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard, and together they drop a huge 16-track drop with various names such as:
– Tha King 8th
– Bombdrop
– Johnny Slash
– The Gloomy Sailor
– Jester Exodus
– DC The Midi Alien
– Boomtact
– J. Depina
– Dr. G
– Frantik
– Knownaz EVIL
– Sevin Soprano on the production and
– Dana Druff
– Ayok
– Milez Grimez
– Pryme Prolifik
– Izma 401
– Akua The God
– Drew Dollars
– Lo Gun
– Kool G Rap
– Dystrakted
– Dtaylz The Profit
– Vendetta of Pcp
– Alexa Dugan
– Kinetic-9
– Tha King 8th
– An Artist Named Flizz
As I’ve experienced before with this man, a HUGE ROSTER to accompany this HUGE album, and as I stated in the intro, this man has more than earned my trust in making a dope as fuck album regardless of the amount of names on the project, and this one did not disappoint!
Man, there are so many places I could start this review from, but I’ll choose the MC part.
So you’ve got the initial two (Knownaz EVIL) & (Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard). They are the initial two MC’s who created this album, and they have incredible chemistry. Both are at similar levels of gritty, in-your-face approaches. Both men have raw and deep vocal tones, vicious wordplay, a vivid sense of pen game and bar work, as well as their own brand of fluency attached to their deliveries and flow.
I love the synchronous behaviour by both men specifically. This is the result of years of brotherhood, practice, and studying each other’s style and mind until they can read each other’s mind like it’s elementary. Two lyrical powerhouses taking charge of the album and providing the stable and dynamic balance that acts as the verbal constant that the rest of the features work off!
Of course, speaking of the many list of features on the mic, they all help contribute their own brand of skilful storytelling, brash bars, street poetry, and other lyrical endeavours that help push this album to that next level atmosphere! I shouldn’t have to say that it can’t be easy to try to maintain this many artists in a row, but as they have in the past, Gamblez and company find a way to coexist and create a volume that’s full of harsh verses, incredible aura that really reinforces that ‘EVIL BASTARDS’ persona this album is going for!
Each artist is tough, rough, and rugged with an established voice and rhythm that lends itself into that dark and cerebral sense of danger this album consistently has going for itself. It’s not just the fact of having 16 fucking MC’s on one album, but it’s the overall mentality of the group. They are the underground hip-hop equivalent of (House Of Torture). If you don’t know, go look it up! It even makes more sense considering the MC’s name is (Knownaz EVIL). They are a gritty group of lyrical hooligans who will do anything to come out on top!
It’s that gang mentality that you felt on classic groups like Wu-Tang or Onyx! That same intensity is felt here, and it’s an addictive feeling!
Of course, if THIS is your company for rappers, as a producer, you ain’t gonna drop no bitch shit! You gotta make sure you drop songs that are equally as intense and menacing as the performances, and in that respect, I feel the various producers hit that to TEE!
So many incredible beats, like, for example, -Bad Guys, that opening track, as we have that film intro snippet that later evolves into his gritty and atmospheric old-school type instrumental! You’ve got these raw guitar strings, thick drum patterns, these sci-fi style synth chord progressions, and those thick bass strings! This all comes together to create the perfect intro track that sets the tone for the whole album!
We have tracks like -Truth Hurts, this one is by Jester, and it’s one of the more methodically charged cuts on the album. You’ve got those high & sharp chord progressions, a different layer of sharp synth keys, minimal drums, and this all comes together for a rather chaotic yet infectious production that sounds like the physical equivalent of murderous intent!
There’s the track -Empty Shellz, which has this old-school 90’s Wu-Tang RZA feel to it. With those screeching keys that have a heavy, eerie/haunting effect!
There’s those rock and roll style drum beats, a collection of nostalgic cuts and scratches with what sounds like a ‘Gang Starr’ sample! There’s also those hypnotic chord progressions that come in every 5 seconds or so for a dramatic effect!
This is also the track with the legend himself, Kool G Rap on it, and he sounds as slick as he’s ever been!
I can’t lie, I was a bit surprised to hear how mellow and damn near sombre the final track was in -World Goes Around! After hearing how ridiculously vicious and brutal the rest of the album was, for them to go off in this note was definitely an eye-opener!
On this song, we have that classical era vocal sample on loop accompanied with those sticky strings, violin samples, and the heaviest drums that appear at the forefront of the song!
This song has a true ‘conclusive’ feel to it, especially combined with that powerful vocal performance in the chorus! Truly a creative explosion for the final track!
Man, this was a roller coaster and a half! You’d be left sweating after hearing this one! It’s the very definition of gargantuan, and you won’t be the same way you came in when you leave!
https://uvaside.bandcamp.com/album/evil-bastards
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