Here we have the 2nd EP from Croydon, South London, England, United Kingdom emcee Verbz. Introducing himself in 2017 off the full-length debut Lessons of Adolescence under High Focus Records produced by Brighton beatsmith Mr. Slipz, he would later put out the debut mixtape Pathways & the sophomore effort Radio Waves followed near the end of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following up The Low almost 14 months earlier, he & Slipz are reuniting so they can take things back Where It Started.
The title track is a lo-fi boom bap intro talking about home being where the heart is & wearing it on his sleeve whereas “Music Banging Like” rawly speaks of reaping what he sowed now he’s getting older. “For My Peeps” instrumentally reminds me of A Tribe Called Quest shouting out all the important people in his life & after “Felt Like a Dream” takes a moment to talk about his successes in making music, “Walk Like a King” dedicates itself to those who left too soon.
Catching a 52 minute train between Croydon & Brighton to reconnect throughout Where It Started, this extended play does everything & more fan have come to expect from Verbz & Mr. Slipz diving deep into their hearts & minds. Slipz’ boom bap production was made with an MPC without the need of using any samples & Verbz nostalgically conceives themes revolving around the trials & tribulations of both artists doing what they done & still do presently in order of surviving the streets of the Cronx.
Score: 4/5
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