Russ — Chomp EP

After releasing one of the worst albums of the year, Russell "Russ" Vitale redeems himself and towards the end of the season brings out a five-track EP with worthy guests: KXNG Crooked, Ab-Soul, DJ Premier, Busta Rhymes, Black Thought & Benny the Butcher. Production is handled by Russ himself, as well as DJ Premier, The Alchemist and 9th Wonder.

Yes, in this 23-minute project there are some of the best performers and producers on the circuit. The rapper from Secaucus, New Jersey provides his best flow, best lyrics and best performance in career, is more inspired, energetic and quicker than ever, managing to barely play decently and getting completely blacked out on every single track, from each guest. "Inside Job" is a solo cut, but both Premier rhythm and Method Man sample are much better than him.

Russ produces the first two joints, in the first KXNG Crooked offers one of his best flows and dominates a trap beat that's better than usual, in the second Ab-Soul is a killer from the first line and eats the boom bap with trap vibes made by the house rapper, which here too had offered better than usual. The third pick features excellent rhythm: wonderful loop of a second and a half, maybe two seconds or close, made by DJ Premier, fresh scratches, lean midtempo drum. Sample of M-E-T-H-O-D Man, on an album by Russ? Aight. Straight from the Wu-Tang Clan debut eponymous track. The magic of Preemo makes it seem like the performer runs smoothly over this silky musical carpet, however, if you pay more attention, it isn't quite so: the boy is indeed almost completely unfit with the rhythm and ruins it. On the next track, Busta Rhymes effortlessly treads it on a boom bap with melodic soul sample choked and looped by Alchemist. "Momentum" is a long seven-minute closing piece featuring Benny the Butcher and Black Thought, refreshing the project over a competent 9th Wonder boom bap beat, with good drum and melodic female soul samples.

Ignored by most insiders and many heads, this is by far the best project Russ has ever done. Really a lot, it almost doesn't look like a tape published by him. There's too much quality, even excessive, the guy tries hard to stand up to the others, but they play in another league. The tape ends up being a "Woody Allen album", a good if not excellent project that would be better without the lead performer. 7/10.