Week 6

24/12/21

Boldy James & The Alchemist - Super Techmo Bo

I know it's been a while, but I'm back with a review of yet another Boldy James x Alchemist record. These two have found success in the recent past with Alchemist's laid-back, deep-cutting beats meshing seamlessly with Boldy's smooth and nonchalant flow. This album is no different; it really is a very effective recipe for success. These Alchemist beats just get under your skin in a different way to anyone else's production. The sampling with a variety of instruments matches perfectly with the low bpm drum beats (or lack of). You can just allow them to take you away. This coupled with Boldy's leisurely flow is just a whole vibe and very easy to listen to. However, whilst it is very easy to drift away to the music, I would highly recommend really paying attention to the lyrics. Boldy, in typical Griselda fashion, harshly raps about his days on the streets and the constituent emotional strain. A lot of the lyrics are quite complex, meaning that whilst it is difficult to really grasp all of the meanings at the start, it means that you get more from this album with future listens, which is a nice feeling. It also helps that due to the excellent production and easy-going rapping, the replay value on this record is very high. The main issue I have with it, however, is that it does seem a bit too safe. The production got a little bit repetitive (on first listen as the album progressed) and Boldy's delivery does not exactly 'grip you in' when the production slacks. On the other hand, with future listens, this becomes less of an issue as it's not like I sit paying close attention to the album every time I listen to it. I would like to see these two attempt something slightly different, but that does not take away from the fact that this is still a great record in itself.

Favourite songs: Level Tipping Scales, Bumps and Bruises, Hot Water Tank, No Laughing Matter, Moth in The Flame, Francois

Score: 7.5/10

Iman Omari, Buddy - Get a Job

I really like the vibe of this song, and it reminds me how much I need a new Buddy album, it's been far too long. His verse is pretty fun. I love how he switches up his flow multiple times to fit different things in to one line of his rhyme schemes (which are also varying and very clever). Dude rhymes 'water' with 'one time'. And it isn't like a 'near rhyme', it's incredibly clear and noticeable. I definitely wanted another verse from him as one was not enough for a three-and-a-half minute song. I also really liked the distortion in Omari's voice in the bridge and hook; it worked with the funky beat really well. I can imagine playing this song whilst driving on a sunny day, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, which is weird as this was released at the peak of winter. Anyhow, a second verse was definitely needed as the hook went on for a bit too long. But, it was an enjoyable track, so it doesn't bother me too much. I can definitely imagine it on a 2k soundtrack or something along those lines. 

MF DOOM - MM...FOOD

The album releases haven't really excited me recently, so I decided to continue my MF DOOM journey with very unique 'MM...FOOD'. Like last time, let's start with the production. And like last time, it is again fantastic. Mostly produced by Metal Fingers (DOOM under another alias), this record is just so great to listen to, definitely easier and more accessible than Madvillainy. This translates into the rapping, but I'll get to that later. The sampling is fantastic in a very weird way; DOOM clearly loves his old cartoons and comics. The one Madlib-produced song is still the highlight production-wise on this album, but the other songs are still immaculately produced with poise and expertise. DOOM's rapping performance is, unsurprisingly, stunning. Rhyme schemes, flows, metaphors, entendres, the guy has it all. I don't know how his seemingly uncaring flow fits so well over these crazy instrumentals (I guess due to their low bpm), but it does and it seems effortless. I don't want to compare too much to Madvillainy, but this record is definitely not as lyrically dense and easier to understand. It is still very complex, but I wasn't losing my mind quite as much. I'm not quite sure how that became the benchmark, but it is DOOM. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, by the way, I couldn't expect that standard to be upheld. I also love the constant theme of food, it just adds a level of intellect and humour I've become accustomed to from DOOM. There are bangers, like 'Rapp Snitch Knishes', as well as bar-heavy grimy tracks, like 'Vomitspit'. He perfects both of these styles. I only really realised how much I enjoyed this album after my first listen when looking back on the songs I added to my playlist (it was most of them). My only gripe with this record is the weird four-song instrumental stretch in the middle of the album. I am sure if I really delved into them, they would provide some deep level of information and were probably apt for their time, but they didn't really do much for me. I just wound up waiting to hear DOOM rap again as that is the obvious highlight of the album. However, on future listens, they can just be skipped and it is then clear how high the standard of the rest of the album is. Also, the quality of the tracks definitely improve after these skits/instrumentals, which was pleasant to hear. RIP DOOM. 

Favourite songs: Hoe Cakes, Potholderz, One Beer, Deep Fried Frenz, Kon Karne, Kon Queso, Rapp Snitch Knishes, Vomitpsit, Kookies

Score: 9/10

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