You ever hear an album and think ‘yup, that shit is different!’ That’s how I felt with this one. It’s always a good sign to me when rappers are willing to try their hands at new things and push to create something original, which in this case has been done! So with that in mind, let’s talk about it!
We are talking about the brand-new album by MC and producer POOTIE! This one is 10 tracks, just shy of 24 minutes, with the likes of
-FREDDYSTONE
-070PHI
-Ki Bohiti
And with only three features, we have lift-off! As I mentioned in the intro, this one just hits different. You can hear it from the first track; the smoothness and atmosphere that he created that runs throughout the entirety of the listening experience is amazing!
Firstly, let’s talk about the MC work on here. If fluency had a child with conviction, then that’s where we’d get POOTIE! Can a man get more vibrant than he? I doubt it. From the way he carries himself on the tracks to his charisma and immense energy, he legit has it all.
He doesn’t even have to try that hard; he just has that ‘IT’ factor about him that is evident to the listeners at home!
I loved his one-of-a-kind voice and the way he can spit precise and witty bars effortlessly! It sounds like he’s recording in the studio with just the thoughts he had that day and not written-down bars!
He sounds like the kind of guy that is so smooth he’s just remembering the ideas, ideals, and perspectives he had the 24 hours prior and telling the audience in a rhythmic manner! It’s not uncommon (from what I’ve been told to believe) of MC’s who don’t ever write shit down, and for all we know, he could be one of them!
Although there is the small handful of features, I love how he carries himself on the tracks; make no mistake, he takes over the stage on this one! It’s his aura, his abilities, and supreme penmanship that enables the fans to stay and come back!
A true lyrical lyricist. He ain’t wasting his time with any of that dumb, filler shit. He barely gives himself time to breathe as he just wants to compact as many bars and verses as he can in the short timeframe he has, and I feel he accomplished this with flying colours! Not to mention the fantastic chemistry he has with the names involved! Each feature brings the heat and helps amplify the record as a whole! If I had to play -DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, I’d say FREDDIE was my favourite feature verse on the whole thing!
So, onto the production (which again was done by POOTIE) and in saying that, this feels like he created a thugged-out soundtrack to the Jak and Daxter series! It’s thrilling, engaging, high stakes, memorable, and kick-ass! This album even has all the various vibes of what would be considered for the trilogy!
Like, for example, -SOUTHERNWETLANDS is definitely a Jak and Daxter III vibe! The kind of track you’d hear in the deep desert driving those ridiculously fun cars! (My favourite was The Dune Hooper) that could jump like 50ft in the air was sick!
Anyway, this track has that same harsh and dangerous vibe to it with a literal sample of endless coughing at the start of it, which I’ve never heard utilised in a sample before! With some sharp chord progressions and jazz horns over some raw and in-your-face drums, that makes this one feel gritty to its very core!
The song -PAYSTATION, this is definitely a Jak and Daxter ONE vibe! Back when the game was all fun, PG aesthetics with that incredible, otherworldly soundtrack! This is that. I want you to re-picture roaming the films, collecting those various forms of Ecos! And then spending your time looking for power cells, shit was elite, and this instrumental fits that vibe perfectly with those floating chord progressions with a slight echo effect, light and surreal drums, and what sounds like wind blowing throughout the track with those glistening keys? Heaven in a bowl, I tell you!
-COULDN’T FATHOM is 100% Jak 2! Back when Jak took a heel turn and became one with the dark echo turning himself into all the 90’s kids favourite anti hero this has that vibe! With those no nonsense distorted strings in the background with those subtle keys and light minimal drums. This one is stripped back and raw just like Jak when he hit adulthood!
So, long story short if a man who can either intentionally or unintentionally can recreate homage sounds to the greatest PS series of all time with absurdly solid performances and dope features doesn’t sound dope to you then we just aren’t on the same plane of existence! Trust me this is the one to look out for!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 