Conway — Blakk Tape [mixtape]

First mixtape published by Conway in 2018. Daringer is the main producer, flanked by Beat Butcha, Bozack Morris and V Don.

The tape is introduced by "Devil's Work". Obsessive loops sampled by Serge Gainsbourg's "Breakdown Suite", the samples are they are slowed down brilliantly by Daringer in order to favor the emcee's raw, slow, polished delivery style. They're brilliantly slowed down by Daringer to accommodate the emcee's raw, slow, polished delivery style. These slowed-down sounds create a dark, gloomy, cinematic soundscape, reminiscent of a 1970s thriller, almost noir: cautious bass, background percussion, plucked strings, Conway delivers an extra verse and tears the cut.

The choice number two is "Puzo", another beat realized by Daringer. The sample is masterful, from "Suite in Two Parts", song included in a Bulgarian jazz album of the eighties by the Sofia Orchestra, here accelerated and joined by dynamic hi-hats, rough bass line, and uptempo drum. The title of the piece is an homage to the writer of the novel "The Godfather", to whom the rapper compares himself due to his mafioso lyrics. In this regard, this track is bravado with a thug-gangsta fundaments, but not a mafia rap track — such a track must necessarily refer to (1) a mafia-like and/or luxurious lifestyle, (2) self-indulgence, (3) materialism / getting money, (4) mafia-related crimes such as murder, theft, robbery, kidnapping, etc., (5) drug trafficking instead of drug dealing, (6) addressing the feds as the enemy instead of other law enforcement agencies, (7) narration from the perspective of a mafioso / organization, (8) references to the mafia and/or mafia figures (real or fictional).

For "8 Birds" behind the keys there's V Don. The guy has a quite challenging task, having to prove that he can place a beat on the same level as Daringer in a Griselda effort, even though he has already worked with Vado, Trae the Truth, Lloyd Banks, Smoke DZA, Ghostface Killah, The LOX, 38 Spesh, A$AP Rocky, and 2 Chainz, among others. The rhythm is dark, solid bass, dusty drum, loop of keys, as the title suggests, Conway sticks to the bricks theme. Daringer is back behind the keyboards in "Alpaca": obsessive piano keys in a tight loop, powerful bass line, syncopated drum accompanied by cautious hi-hats, over this silenthillian-flavored production the Buffalo emcee drags you by force into this mood with his rapping and slices the track, which among other things has one of those mafia references that I mentioned in the previous paragraph to which the title of the piece is also linked. The fifth pick boasts a ill loop of slick piano keys, rough bass, dusty drum a là Pete Rock, perfect, the beat is classic. Signed Daringer. Conway flies over this gloomy soundscape for this drug rap cut, even if the chorus doesn't sound that good.

"Rare Form" is a spectacular boom bap invented by Daringer and Beat Butcha, dark musical carpet, uptempo dusty drum, layered loops of piano keys, one is obsessive and tight, the other one is fresh and appears every now and then in the middle of the beat, La Maquina runs with one of his most smoothness flows, always in shape, this time the chorus works and the result is a dope cut. A skit of Randy Savage precedes "Biscotti Biscuit": Bozack Morris takes a sample from "Super Slow Down" by Bernard Lubat, slow, cool, distant, distorted, ghostly piano keys coupled with distorted, plucked guitar strings, the beatmaker adds an uptempo drum and a robust bass, the beat is flawless, dystopian, pure, the Machine spits hard and raw, he warms his guns and keeps the things in the streets with this joint, dropping bars with a different flow, slow, fluid, velvety, dope. The ninth choice is produced by Daringer and Beat Butcha. Solid bass, plucked guitar strings, organ keys that remain permanently on the beat, light drum, the author delivers a piece dedicated to his deceased friends. Daringer takes a loop from Azitis' "(Creation) Lord I Saw You Cry" and he slows it down to create the rhythm for the tape outro skit.

Conway delivers a solid, vivid and dark streetcore NY tape, composed of a gloomy and obscure production and bringing down a disturbing mood during this half hour. The Buffalo rapper kills several cuts with some of his best lyrical performances ever, aided by dark rhythms excellently created by Daringer. It's one of the best mixtapes of the season.

Rating: 8/10.