Eighth studio album for Lawrence producer Statik Selektah, fourth collaborative, second studio album for Queens rapper Action Bronson.
The first cut is composed of a good jazzy boom bap rhythm by Statik, the MC from NY is ready. It follows "Time for Some", a jazzy hardcore crescendo piece, Action Bronson spits bars with Brownsville rapper Lil' Fame, in a very smooth and hardcore track. Statik Selektah & Action Bronson bring Nina Sky back to life in "Cocoa Butter": where did they go? Meh. They comeback on a jazzy boom bap a little heavier than usual, Bronson opens the track with a flow that is difficult to match, the twins are waiting on the light hook, perfect, counterbalancing the raw production of Statik and the hardcore delivery of the MC, technically supreme on this type of beats. "White Silk" lives up to its title and features the rapper going like a train on a Statik hardcore soundscape. The fifth song has a fat hardcore rhythm, goes almost unnoticed and is of lesser quality. In the sixth song, Statik provides a lighter jazzy musical carpet than the previous one, Bronson still spits hardcore, inspired. Meyhem Lauren is the third guest of the edition, in "Central Bookings": excellent jazzy rhythm, drum heavier than usual, Action Bronson delivers calm and smooth, Meyhem gives a little freshness to the record.
The eighth track works more as a style exercise for the two main artists, while "The RainMaker" boasts an excellent jazzy boom bap, which finds a happily fit Bronson, here better than on previous productions, plus a hook that somehow sounds better than usual. "Love Letter" approaches the best choices: light, jazzy-soulful, cheerful and bouncy musical carpet, with soul samples that make a little noise in the background, the rapper maintains a hardcore style, creating a good contrast with the jazzy beat and the soul background. The eleventh song stands out among the best: on an abused sample of the Addrisi Bros, "We've Got to Get It on Again", Statik creates an anthological rhythm, an incredible jazzy-soulful boom bap, helped by a second sample Coming from the soul song "Get Outta My Life Woman" by New Apocalypse, Bronson proves he's fit and kills the cut.
"Terror Death Camp" is a posse with Meyhem Lauren and the less-known Maffew Regazoni and AG from Coroner, Bronson here almost seems to rest: light jazzy rhythm with perfect soul sample looped in the background, Meyhem sounds discreetly on this beat, trying to go smoothly, but his delivery is slowed down and a bit cumbersome, Regazoni sounds without talent and without anything indicative that makes him stand out on this production that instead does everything to annihilate him, da Coroner isn'tt much better than the previous one. The thirteenth cut is destined to reach the best songs: Statik brings out a great jazzy beat, the MC from Queens shows off all his talent by rattling off an extremely smooth verse, however suddenly comes a reggaeton-Latin hook that brings the song back to the lower blocks of the album. The last two songs are respectively hardcore and jazzy beats, Bronson delivers with dignity, but in the end his flow seems almost tired and slow.
Overall, the album boasts a Statik Selektah masterpiece production, robust jazzy boom bap rhythms, with skeletal, rough drums and sublime melodic samples. Action Bronson's lyricism doesn't develop with respect to the debut and remains anchored to food, drugs, sex, thug, hardcore and braggadocio, spitting out random homophobia and misogyny. The thing that sets Action Bronson apart from being an average and random De La Soul, is that he's blessed with a smoothness flow and dope rapping style that is very similar to that of Ghostface Killah, which earned him immediate comparisons. Fresh, solid, coherent, and energetic, this tape is one of the best underground hip-hop works to come out this year, a great showcase for one of Statik Selektah's best productions and for the newly emerging talent of Action Bronson. Recommended for East Coast fans.
Highlights: "Time for Some", "Cocoa Butter", "White Silk", "The Stick Up", "The RainMaker", "Love Letter", "Not Enough Words".
Rating: 7.3/10.
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