At this point the music has been out for months, but having finally received my physical copy let me spend a couple of words on this…
But first a message to all the indie labels: I'm not gonna knock your hustle of handmade-neon-pink-pressed-cocaine-limited-vinyl made especially for the r/griselda fuckboy types, but please help keep the price gouging down and just press a couple more regular copies for us average joes, yeah?
Now back to the music: I think that this is
@bigghostltd 's best production since
@__crimeapple__ , and not only on a track-for-track scale, but in overall cohesion and tone. And variety, too – something that too many 90s NY inspired producers lack (extra shouts for homaging Mobb Deep in the right way). Plus, the mixing & mastering are flawless, so when the snares hit you really feel it.
On
@romestreetz
part, you already know the resume: he won’t school you on the inequities of today’s school system or tell you who his favorite Dutch designer is, but he sure knows how to craft some brilliantly antisocial verses and deliver them effortlessly, be it alone or with someone. And yeah, while I’m on it, and not to take anything away from anybody, but Method Man’s still in the habit of outshining his peers on tracks. Had the man not been making history for the last 30 years already, I’d think he’s building a buzz for his debut album.
Oh, and finally, what surprised me the most is a rare B.I.B.L.E. moment:
@chynastreetz solo cut may not be THE best track on an admittedly stellar album , but fuck me if it isn’t AMONG the best…
So while I’ve been a fan of Marcy’s since his UN days, and while I argue that Lloyd Banks has made the greatest comeback of the past 20 years with his COTI series, the only 2023 record that IMHO can go toe to toe with Billy Woods’ latest is this here. And since I consider that one to be a classic in the making, draw your own conclusions