I’m ashamed to admit it’s taken me this long to get to this record. I’ve followed his career all year, and he’s yet to disappoint as he delivers some of the strongest performances in the underground right now. With this latest release, he’s further proving why he’s truly one of the culture’s GOATs! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new album by legendary MC Recognize Ali and produced by Anu El (and on one track -Karbine).
With 14 tracks, 38 minutes, and cuts from
-DJ Grazzhoppa
-Chinch 33
-Tone Spliff
-D-Styles
-DJ Tray
-D-Rec
And fuck me, was I missing out on one of the best albums of the month! This thing goes HARD. We see Anu El throw all caution to the wind and create beats that are not only beautifully orchestrated but are reminiscent of the 90s in the best way possible.
Across these 14 tracks, we have aspects such as cuts and scratches from the various legends in the industry mentioned above to the stripped-back, raw, and downright diabolical production numbers that feel like a kick in the stomach!
You’ve got those trademark booming drums, those sharp chord progressions, plucked strings, intricate melodies, and crisp, gritty, and muddy presentation that makes you feel like you’re about to hear Mobb Deep or Gang Starr for the first time again. It’s truly magical.
This tape’s sound takes me back to the old-school East Coast era of beats when the legends of the time used minimal elements and created classics.
Not working about adding 100 different layers or utilising a million features per track, nah, they understood the definition and importance of ‘Less is more’ and worked accordingly, and that’s EXACTLY what’s happening here!
I can’t believe how smoothly this whole record comes together. It’s fluent, hardcore, in your face, and ruthless as hell and pays homage in the most incredible way possible!
Speaking of paying homage, MY FUCKING GOD does Ali go off on this one! Just when I thought I’d heard his peak, he comes back somehow stronger and more powerful, precise and sharp as ever, and it’s truly something to behold.
He doesn’t waste a single breath across these 38 minutes and drops bars after bars, verse after verse of pure unadulterated heat!
Again, this reads like a verbal love letter to the forefathers who came before. The true MC’s who paved the way for the new era to run, and in doing so, he’s inheriting his inner
-MF Doom
-2Pac
-Biggie
-Guru
-Big L
-DMX
You name it, and he’s paying respect to them! With some of the most no-nonsense and direct delivery I’ve heard all year. He’s making it very clear this project is bar-focused, and he’s using this 3rd entry of the ‘Back To Mecca’ project to strip away any unnecessary baggage, not focus on conceptualised themes or complicated ideas and thoughts, but instead showcase to the community just how talented and above the pack he is with his pen game, and when he gets into that zone, no one can stop him!
The whole time listening to this record, I felt captured by his verses. Every word and sentence, I felt further mesmerised and taken back at how far he could push a song, how many syllables and one-liners, double entendres, and phrases he could add.
How much could he manipulate the beats and flip his narratives, how many continuations to his set-ups, and how clearly his enunciations could be, and he kept outdoing himself with every new track.
I would say I’m blown away, but I feel that’s way too understated to say. This record is a MASTERCLASS of bars and production, and it’s when rappers (and producers) decide to go back to the bare basics that often times the best classics are reached! DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS RECORD!
https://open.spotify.com/album/3o8jM5jhEuHc8ZZ7lOzkxe?si=bY9mGPcnRfalR3ohQ7XeQw










