Conway — Everybody Is F.O.O.D. [mixtape]

In Summer 2018, Buffalo rapper Conway the Machine releases the first chapter of his "Everybody is F.O.O.D." series. Daringer is the main producer, other rhythms are provided by DJ Green Lantern, Pete Rock and Statik Selektah. The guests are Busta Rhymes, Skyzoo and Elzhi.

"Bullet Holez in My Neck" opens the tape: Daringer samples Sloche's "Isacaaron (Ou Le Démon Des Choses Sexuelles)" for a loop of slick piano keys and guitar licks, tight and sharp production, Conway flies over this rhythm with bravado bars, setting the tone for the whole effort. In "Slapbox" the Buffalo emcee shows us all his storytelling skills describing a robbery over a rough rhythm with a unique verse, what a track. Pete Rock takes a sample from Caravan's "With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It - Martinian - Only Cox - Reprise", beautiful and elegant piano scale, perfect dusty drum, raw bass, La Maquina flex his muscles here with a slick dope flow.

Skit, then "ODB": Daringer samples Antonio Iglio's "Yellow Drops", dusty drums, guitar strings hypnotizing, Conway drops a couple of bravado stanzas, here the hook doesn't works well. The next song has a tight loop of keys, Conway envelops bravado, drug and gangsta bars, then Busta Rhymes swaps away the beat with his raw style, calmer than usual over this production. For "The Scorpion" DJ Green Lantern is behind the keyboards: amazing sample from Cortex' "Devil's Dance", another flex / braggadocio joint for Conway the Machine, that with Green Lantern made it a couple of solid tapes ("Reject on Steroids" and "More Steroids") the previous year.

A skit is followed by "Sky Joint 2": sample from One Way's "Runnin' Away", clashing drums, hip house vibes, Skyzoo joins Conway over this production realized by Statik Selektah. Daringer samples Alan Feanch's "Submariner Meditation" for "212": splendid loop, perfect drum, Conway at the opening verse, then Elzhi kills the track. The tape is closed by "Sigel in State Prop": hypnotizing loop of keys, midtempo dusty drum, raw bass line, La Maquina is at home over this kind of beats, unique verse to close the disk.

Conway brings out another good mixtape, eleven tracks divided by a pair of skit. Daringer paints a dark landscape tinged with tense jazzy rhythms, Conway often goes strong, proving himself still among the best in the game. The most successful pieces are "212", with Elzhi on an essential soulful rhythm, and "Land O 'Lakes", a dark and tense essential production torn by Busta. "Sky Joint 2" has an amazing beat and "Piper" a cool underground rhythm, solo Conway shows his skills with a powerful and fluent delivery. Recommended to Griselda fans.

Rating: 7.4/10.