Old Vegas

Back again with another duo I’m new to! I swear it feels like every other day I’m being introduced to a fresh act that expands my knowledge of the culture that much further! But it seems these guys are making the right waves in the game so let’s talk about it! This is the brand new EP by -The Tangiers (Benefit & Massiah Kaine) and this pair come equipped with Production from -Thvnos -Gajos -Scotzilla And Cuts from -LP2 with the features of -Heltah Skeltah -Thavid Ruffin Now, I want to discuss the production aspect because that’s what really stood out to me right off the bat! It has this old school, soulful energy that although is making a comeback I feel in the last year still reminds me of the classic late 90’s to early 2000’s shit! How can I note be hyped with tracks like -Casino Kings which has this trademark layered sound with a combination of some lavish bass strings, some high strung funky keys that has a tad bit of synth influence to it. Add in some rhythmic drums and you have a hit! Also that chipmunk chorus passage? THAT’S MY SHIT! I love that singing edit and I wish more songs utilises that Kanye/Twista style chords! There’s the track -Odds In Our Favour which takes a more serious note on the album. The first thing that hits you in the face is that strong organ usage that sounds like a vampire doing a crip walk! That’s combined with some fast structured drums and some more thick bass! This one has such a medieval meets hip hop atmosphere that had me going crazy) The song -Long Live Sean Price purposely takes the music back to the classic era due to the nature of the track. Whenever you’re dealing with -Sean Price it’s mandatory to keep things respectful and pay homage and this track does both! From the moment the song opens you are hit with those angelic vocal harmonies that set the stage for the legendary verses to come! This song has what sounds like some tweaked chords in the background that has a maraca shake attached to them! Of course this track has some mesmerising ass drums and a whole soundscape that couldn’t be beaten! (Sonically and lyrically) When we discuss the lyrical aspects we have to obviously highlight the importance of the main duo. Sometimes a collaboration just clicks and that is definitely the case here! Two men with different yet complimenting studio cadences come rocking over this 6 track EP that makes me think of acts like -OutKast -Redman and Meth -Clipse And of course -Heltah Skeltah There’s alot of aspects about it. From how smooth one can set up the opening verse and confidently trust in the second to keep the momentum going! You don’t see this level of trust with just anyone and these two utilise their differences and approaches to the bars to help make a ‘different side of the same coin’ feel for the listener! I also appreciate how they decided to make a short EP first. Let the fans at home experience the magic to build on later! Not to mention getting literal legends who helped pave the way for us all was such a smart mood because not only will the real ones feel the nostalgia of the past but we will never get tired of hearing men who never spit a wack verse! The atmosphere across this album feels competitive. As if behind the scenes these two men are making bets to challenge each other on who can make the better verse! Who can spit harder and legitimately trying to both have as much as possible and resurrect that spirit of competition that we had in the 80’s and early 90’s and I fucking love it! If you’re gonna listen to any EP this year, make sure it’s this one! It’s Thrilling, fun and skilled as all hell!