(Mint Misprints)

When discussing dominant duos, I feel this team is far too underrated and not spoken about. For the times I’ve covered them, they have yet to disappoint, and it’s crazy to think this might be their best effort yet! Two men who have the goal of reinventing ‘artistry!’ With that in mind, let’s get into it!

This is the brand-new album by MC -Kingdom Kome and producer Ruen, and together they drop an absolutely compelling 14 tracks with 49 minutes of content and the likes of 

-D.V. alias Khryst

-ILL BILL

-SKAM2

-Che Uno

-Daniel Son

And with these names comes a record that sounds like no other!

If we want to discuss the MC side of things, we have Kingdom, for the longest time, reinforced the trademark quality that everyone associates with the underground and made himself the standard to beat!

From the opening track, you get to hear his infamous talent and skill that he’s been honing for years now. The way he’s able to craft sentences, have all his bars manipulate the beat, and his pure lyricism is something special.

I also have to point out that intro track with that amazing spoken word talking about how collector’s items are worth more when there’s misprints or errors. I love that because it’s true! It makes the product stand out, and to use that as a theme for the album is absolutely genius!

From his immaculate flow, pinpoint accuracy in delivery, extensive vocabulary, and a depth of emotion in his wordplay that you don’t get with just anyone, he’s once again set a higher standard for MC’s everywhere.

He doesn’t even need to do anything overly flashy or experimental or extreme to get over— no, he just used his mastery of penmanship and solid delivery to make a near 50-minute album feel timeless! That’s definitely something not all artists have the gift of. We’ve all been there, listened to an album that’s sometimes way shorter than this, and it’s a drag? Well, call Kingdom the boredom repellent because he’ll have you fixated on his presence to the very end!

Of course, alongside him is none other than Ruen, a man who doesn’t get enough attention as a producer because he’s done nothing but knock it out of the park with every new project, and this might just be his ‘magnum opus’ to date. So many banging tracks to choose from, but I’m just gonna list a few!

Firstly, we can talk about -Bullseye. If I’m not mistaken, this was the single I reviewed ages ago, but it hasn’t lost any of its potency! From those glistening keys looping throughout the track, those subtle strings, and rhythmic drums that come all together to create a hypnotic track that is absolutely infectious!

But what makes this track pop besides those late-edition cuts and scratches is the very end usage of those Egyptian-style female vocal harmonies! Still gave me goosebumps to hear, what a way to end the track!

We have the track -No Love, which has a slight sombre feel to the track with this slow-paced vibe with some low-vibe piano keys, a soulful vocal track, what sounds like some plucked strings, and surreal drums that ever so slowly go off to further pack that powerful atmosphere!

For me, what really makes this track memorable and explosive is that fucking feature! I’ve never heard of him before, but his deep voice, his smooth rhymes— man, he was the MVP feature of the record! Ridiculous performance!

I loved the song -Letter To My Seed. Lowkey, this song reminded me of something I’d expect off T-Pain’s debut album. It has a light yet soulful feel to it that I adored. From those groovy jazz horns, immersive bass strings, and this subtle buzzing sound that I can’t really place, but it sounds like those electric things that keep and kill flies that you hang up outside your houses! Either way, it made my ears tingle, which was an interesting feeling!

There are also some piano keys that help add an extra layer of flavour to the song!

This man should be getting mainstream attention the way he kills the beats! He creates new undiscovered sonic worlds every time he contributes to an album, and I wish the world celebrated him the same way I do! Combine that with the immaculate skills by Kingdom and those insane features, and you have a record that will definitely stand the test of time! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/7mCUj1k1DFNtlpoJC2Kfgo?si=eQa6wAk6RcGB-nIVoxJDmA