I’ve had some anticipated albums this year, but maybe none as huge as this one! I’ve been on this one for months! With teaser singles getting me hungry for the eventual release, and now that I finally have it, I can safely say this was worth every second of the wait! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new, highly anticipated album by MC Maurice (AKA Moe Hendrix) and producer Koba Dera, and together they drop a solid 8-track project that will have you hooked like a crackhead on crack! Let’s talk about why!
Well, first of all, let’s talk about Maurice! He might be the dark horse storyteller of the underground. One that will be criminally underrated but one whose efforts and talents aren’t missed by me! Across this whole project, he shows us how powerfully versatile he can be.
Whether that be braggadocio, brash bars, or truly heartfelt, tragic stories, he can make anything sound compelling.
He can make you mean-mug, laugh, cry, and reminisce. That’s the talent this man has behind the pen, and he showcases this in only 18 minutes! That’s absolutely nuts. Combine that with his raw charisma and in-your-face approach to the tracks, and you have a recipe for a performance that can’t be replicated!
Also, let’s bring up the elephant in the room. He’s out here rapping alongside two lyrical phenoms, Daniel Son and Snotty! Two of Umbrella’s strongest, and he’s just casually keeping up toe-to-toe with them! That’s what REAL skill looks like, and it’s something not everyone can say!
Overall, I love his presence across this album. He’s comfortable on the tracks; you can hear it in his voice. You can hear his methodical pacing infused with his sharp lyricism and expert storytelling! It all combines to create a MC experience that will make you want to come back for more!
When we discuss the production side of things, we talk about a man who, in the same breath as Maurice, has skills unlike most others. He’s already dropped one of my favourite album productions of the year in JJackpot’s -Dead Man’s Hand, and now he’s dropping this? He’s going into overkill mode!
On this album, we hear an even more cinematic and surreal performance by the man as he fleshes out eight different mini scores that have their own unique impacts, atmospheres, and sonic stories to tell.
For example,
We have the track -Jessica, which matches the heartbreaking story perfectly with those sombre, sharp strings and cold vocal harmony loops with those light and subtle keys in the background. This beat takes a life of its own as it transforms into a variety of small stages that make you feel like the song is feeling the same emotions as Maurice telling the story!
Or we have the track -Lucky Luke, which shows the more introspective side of both men. I love how this instrumental has a thoughtful mindset with those rhythmic drums, light bass, and those delicate and harmonious keys that help bring life to this track to give the listener a reflective and calm soundscape to utilise!
Once again, another example of the beats matching the impactful lyricism!
There’s the track -Place to Bag, where we hear Koba go trademark gritty boom-bap! With those haunting plucked keys, thudding drum patterns, and what sounds like an eerie vocal harmony that’s almost ghostly! As well as a second layer of keys for the chorus aspect!
And what’s this track? It’s the one with Daniel and Snotty! ONCE AGAIN, an example of the synchrony behind MC and producer!
The point is. You will be hard-pressed to find a chemistry as tight as these two. They match each other’s elements perfectly, and it helps create one of the most solid pieces of rap we’ve heard all year!
https://moehendrix.bandcamp.com/album/all-that-glitters
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