Tuxedo is a synth-funk/boogie duo consisting of producer Jake One & frontman Mayer Hawthorne. Forming almost a decade ago, their eponymous full-length debut came out a couple months before I graduated high school with a sophomore effort coming down the pipe a couple years later & more recently their previous LP. It’s already been 5 years since we last saw Tuxedo together & since they took a break to focus on their own endeavors, I was thrilled for their 4th album.
“Hold Us” is a g-funk opener co-produced with DJ Battlecat reminiscing of the late, great king of hooks Nate Dogg to melodically detail shit sounding expensive so they pour up wanting to know if you know anything about that whereas “This is 4 You” brings a nu disco flare to the table reserving this ballad for a specific person in particular tonight. “Back 4 More” has a boogie driven direction singing of a love that’s never felt this good & “Think Twice” goes synth-funk advising both of their romantic interests not to overthink.
As for “Good Time 4 Ever”, we have Tuxedo maintaining a synth-funk vibe making sure you have a good time for the rest of your life & “Cake” right after the “Jake’s Groove” interlude inspired by DJ Quik of course throws it back to the Parliament-Funkadelic days a bit. “Ride with Me” returns to a g-funk edge homaging Nate once more, but then “Windows Down” charismatically throws it back to the Zapp/Roger Troutman era. The upbeat “4 Sure” dances on the ceiling above the floor & “We Made It” properly finishes the LP by shifting towards a smoother direction celebrating the duo’s success.
Bonding over a shared love of Parliament-Funkadelic & Zapp amongst other Zodiac signs in funk music altogether, Tuxedo finally make their comeback after their longest gap between releases yielding a bevy of absolute slappers that are packaged perfectly for dance floors in 2024 whether it be Jake One’s production pulling from g-funk to synth-funk & boogie or Mayer Hawthorne’s catchy vocal performances detailing the duo’s exuberant lifestyle.
Score: 4/5
Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!
Legends Will Never Die 