Ransom — Se7en

First album of 2021 for Ransom, one of the fittest rappers of the moment in New York. The project, more like a solid EP than a studio album, revolves around the concept of the seven deadly sins and faithfully plays on the number seven: in addition to the aforementioned deadly sins, namely pride, avarice, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth, here flipped, this is the seventh studio album for the MC of Jersey City, consisting of seven tracks, released on the seventh day of the sixth (?) month, with the number also replacing the "v" in the title, not to mention that dividing the length of the tape, 22 minutes, by the number of tracks, the pi comes out, which is the same time as the final cut "Pride".

Aside from this numbers game, Ransom gets several competent rhythms and Lloyd Banks, Royce da 5'9", IX WULF and J. Arrr as guests. "Envy" deludes the listener, with Nicholas Craven realizing one of the best rhythms of the project, thanks to a good male soul sample and triumphal strings in the background: the MC lets the rhythm breathe, then attacks it with a steady, confident and enthralling flow. The second song boasts the presence of Lloyd Banks, even if the production of V Don feels inferior to the previous one: boom bap, skinny drum, distant male soul sample and dark and sad piano, Ransom offers one of its dirtiest flows, still smooth and flowing, then Banks immediately fits the production mood and renders the cut well with a rough, raw, dirty, excellent style. "Greed" features good melodic samples and an honest drum, on this Lord Sear rhythm, Ransom delivers well followed by a long Royce verse.

The rhythm of track number four is made by Chup the Producer, dry drum machine, haunting melodic sample, good rap by Ransom even if it's not his ideal soundscape. 38 Spesh produces the following track together with the Brooklyn-native rapper, providing a boom bap with soul samples and dry drum to support the bars of IX WULF and Ran. "Sloth" features J Arrr on a melodic boom bap with lively and lean drum provided again by Chup. It closes "Pride". What to say?

It's among the finest beats of the year. Yes, the sample of this song, "Wichita Lineman" by Willie Hutch, has already been used in the past by some other artists, but in this piece, it has never been so musically clean and clear and it has never been the background to such an impressive lyricism. The joint is already present in the soundtrack of the film "Conflicted" signed by Griselda and BSF, but it loses nothing in freshness. Produced by himself, on triumphant strings and a melodic soul sample looped in the background, Ransom lets the musical carpet breathe and then sinks the knife into the song, killing the cut with a confident, smooth, dope style, at his best ever, and with a smoothness, clear, rapid flow, giving one of the sharpest highlights of the season.

Highlights: "Envy", "Gluttony", "Greed", "Pride".

Rating: 8/10.