38 Spesh — 1995 [mixtape]

It's the sequel of "1994" (2019), mixtape produced by 38 Spesh. The Rochester artist drops his thirteen record in the 2020, not the last one, confirming himself as one of the most prolific guys of the year. The cover should be studied: it pays homage to several key artists who emerged in 1995, ODB and his ID card — the aureole and the smile are two wonderful details — Raekwon and Ghostface Killah in the center, GZA in the dark on the right with his liquid sword; tributes to Onyx in the lower left and to Smif-N-Wessun in the lower right, The Source's 5 mics under the Mobb Deep and alongside the two Wu-Tang, the magazine initially assigned half a mic less to both albums. You might get lost in the details, the "five" of "I Got 5 on It" is drawn with joints, for instance. This tape maintains the formula of the previous one: Spesh takes out 9 classic instrumentals and spits bars on them in freestyle for one minute, two at the most, making a 16-minute tape that boasts only one guest of honor, Che Noir.

After an intro celebrating several masterpiece tracks between '94 and '95, "Mo Money Mo Murder (Homicide)", the classic from AZ ft. Nas from "Doe or Die", opens the project, beautiful. The MC sounds beautifully with good hardcore slow flow, similar to Raekwon's: classics follow as if it were raining, the next is the sample of "Ice Cream", by the Chef, Spesh rightly lets the rhythm breathe, then delivers with a raw, flowing, dope style. "I Shot Ya" by LL Cool J is the sample for the fourth freestyle, precedes "Returns", track in which the MC decides to place the Onyx ("Last Dayz"): good slow and crisp delivery on a jazzy rhythm with hard drum and female sample. "2 Forks" has the brilliant idea of ​​putting on GZA's "Shadowboxin'", accompanied by "Who Shot Ya?" by Biggie.

The choice number seven features Luniz's classic "I Got 5 on It", in one of the rare West Coast homages of this mixtape. It returns brutally and darkly in the obscure alleys of the Queens with the next cut, the icy and hissing "Eye for an Eye" by Mobb Deep, 38 Spesh flows worthily on the gloomy panorama that Havoc created. The Rochester rapper and producer continues his homage to the historic duo formed by the aforementioned Havoc and Don P, providing a deeply smoothness freestyle on a dope rhythm, the wonderful "Shook Ones". Che Noir closes with a freestyle over the rhythm of "Incarcerated Scarface", the second tribute to Raekwon the Chef: the Buffalo MC completely destroys the beat, just this one-minute freestyle is worth the whole project, impressive.

The original rhythms are realized by D/R Period, RZA, Trackmasterz, Diddy & Nashiem Myrick, Tone Capone and Havoc respectively. The whole thing is mixed by DJ Green Lantern, while 38 Spesh drops some good inspired bars and delivers a nice tape.

Rating: 7/10.