Armand Hammer – “Mercy” review

New York underground duo Armand Hammer signing to Rhymesayers Entertainment for their 7th LP. Consisting of billy woods & Elucid, they formed together a decade ago already off their only mixtape Half Measures & the debut album Race Music. The pair would go on to release an EP & 4 more albums worth of abstract political hip hop, with the last one Haram fully produced by The Alchemist becoming the most critically acclaimed within their discography. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips quickly became the greatest musical statement in Fat Possum Records’ entire discography, reuniting with Uncle Al for the Haram sequel Mercy & switching labels from Fat Possum to Rhymesayers.

“Laraaji” comes out the gate hooking up an uncanny sample saving a reference to the late Ka’s 9th & final album The Thief Next to Jesus for billy’s verse whereas “Peshawar” trades the mic with one another over a piano talking about the technological advancements in AI with the “thou shall not make a machine in the likeness of a human” line. “Calypso Gene” embraces a jazzier vibe instrumentally using water as a metaphor for spiritual cleansing just before “Glue Traps” featuring Quelle Chris topically finds the trio addressing more economic issues.

We get some heavy pianos throughout “Scandinavia” talking about life being filtered through white curtains being stranger than the northern European subregion while “Nil by Mouth” continues to put Alchemist’s ear for sampling on full display comparing their flows to remote control lightning. “Dogeared” ends the 1st half with a drumless beat talking about their love running deep until “Crisis Phone” addresses the type of people who don’t know what it means to bleed.

“Moonbow” continues the 2nd leg of Mercy by incorporating a chipmunk soul instrumental hoping all shine through until the end of their days while “No Grabba” combines elements of boom bap & cloud rap talking about their preference of smoking weed without mixing tobacco with it. “U Know My Body” feels more like a brief billy woods solo track going on a complete massacre while “Longjohns” featuring Quelle Chris talks about seeing it all.

The 3rd & final single “California Games” featuring Earl Sweatshirt samples “Rehearse with Ornette” to continue the abstract brilliance of their previous collaborations “Falling Out the Sky” & of course “Tabula Rasa” while “Super Nintendo” wraps things up with a lead single that combines drumless, neo-psychedelia & chiptune using that very console as a metaphor for childhood memories fleeting away.

Despite being confirmed by both billy woods & Elucid that the creative processes behind Haram & Mercy were similar, you’d be disappointed to expect Armand Hammer’s debut under the triennal Rhymesayers Entertainment to sound much like it’s predecessor because that isn’t the case whatsoever. Obviously less experimental than We Buy Diabetic Test Strips was over 25 months earlier, the drumless & jazz rap influences of Haram still remain behind the revered abstract hip hop duo to test out more back-&-forth flows.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Aesop Rock – “I Heard It’s a Mess There Too” review

New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock surprise-releasing his 12th studio LP almost 5 months since Black Hole Superette. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd under Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop has made himself home with for over a decade strong. Blockhead had fully produced Garbology to acclaim & Integrated Tech Solutions has quickly received the same love The Impossible Kid, coming off the most complexly-produced opus of his career to put I Heard It’s a Mess There Too on YouTube & his website.

“Crystals & Herbs” starts us off with a quirky, self-produced boom bap intro abstractly explaining that you can’t blame the rigged system for not being able to defend yourself whereas “The Cut” takes an eerier route to the beat talking about being in a secluded location. “Full House Pinball” advises to remember what a little fresh air can do for us all just before “Bag Lunch” talks about having whole blocks on lockdown instead of avenues.

Meanwhile on “Spin to Win”, we have Aes over a funkier beat whipping around the woods & rattling the limbs of those nearby leading into “Opossum” instrumentally reminding me a little of Griselda running circles around instead of running in circles. “Oh My Stars” begins the 2nd half sharing donuts with crows whenever he finds himself unsure as to where to go while “Potato Leek Soup” talks about playing in the streets all day & encouraging bystanders to be scared.

“Pay the Man” begins the 3rd & final act of I Heard It’s a Mess There Too by working in a boom bap beat with some chimes feeling confident that he could throw a playing card that would land between one’s praying hands while “Poly Cotton Blend” shows off his sampling techniques forever hittin’ the ground runnin’ with the bum rush. “Fall Home” tells all of his friends he hopes they find what they need to become the people they were meant to be & the closer “Sherbert” advising one could be the likes of which we ain’t seen.

Rather than expanding the complexity of Black Hole Superette’s production earlier this spring, Aesop Rock makes a conscious shift in approach when making I Heard It’s a Mess There Too using newer tools to make his sound cleaner & more minimal because he felt like he’s been making music similarly for quite some time embracing a detailed concept around keeping up with long-distance friendships & the ways social media’s being used to document tragedies & political uprisings.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Atmosphere – “Jestures” review

Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere are back for their 14th album. Consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards, they started as a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast! building an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9. So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously became their best in a while a couple years ago & Jestures looks to become more ambitious both thematically and it’s pacing sequenced in order of the alphabet.

“Asshole” begins by advising not to mistake his circle for repetition over a luxurious boom bap instrumental whereas “Baby” finds himself feeling drunk off a woman pleading for her not to play him. “Caddy” talks about personifying his cars in a personal way even though he’s not an enthusiast for motor vehicles just before “Daley” gives a daily dose of the Holy Ghost.

Evidence joins Atmosphere on “Effortless” talking about their fans wanting to see them do exactly what they do best as if they didn’t have to put any effort into it while “Furthermore” explains that people still have nightmares when they’re living in their dreams. “Grateful” brings a funkier vibe to the beat talking about the subject of gratitude while “Heavy Lifting” featuring Haphduzn suggests to let their legs do the hard work.

After the 127 second “Instrument” compositional interlude, “Jester” cloudily talks about the way Slug will possibly identify himself for all of eternity while “Kilowatts” featuring Kurious abstractly heads for the farthest limits together. “Locusts” talks about keeping his head up not trying to drown in the rain while “Mash” featuring Mike the Martyr, Musab & Muja Messiah brings the quintet together where the cops aren’t at.

“Neptune” starts the 2nd half of Jestures with some sampling to talk about nobody getting the message of Atmosphere’s music unless a connection is felt while the drumless “Ophidiophobia” dismisses the idea of a moral in favor of hope. “Past” talks about your future being nothing like the way it was previously while the experimental “Quicksand” admits to feeling like he’s sinking deeper the more he fights this trap.

We get a more tropical vibe on “Really” talking about having nothing better to do while the 78 second “Sean” reveals that Slug’s father named him after the late Sean Connery from the James Bond franchise. “Trying” soulfully sends a dedication to everyone who’re giving it all of their effort while the crooning “Used To” talks about moving like he’s driving on track these days.

“Velour” kicks off the final leg of the LP by recalling a series of conversations Slug has with a chick he can’t wait to see as soon as tour ends until traveling “Westbound” to go back in time over a rap rock instrumental. “XXX” talks about Rhymesayers being around for 3 decades already while the single “Yearning” tackles the universal ache for belonging. “Zorro” featuring Zoodeville finishes up with both parties confident of their own heartbeats making a mark.

Contemplating the way time shapes society & that even the dullest can be transformative, Atmosphere gets to the root of life’s complexities throughout Jestures capturing personal evolution without romanticizing the past or fearing the future. Ant’s rich production shifts from electro-glitch to somber drones & playful twang soundtracking Slug’s story of progress & building toward a future defined by resilience & creative clarity.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Evidence – “Unlearning 2” review

Venice, California emcee/producer & former graffiti artist Evidence releasing a sequel to Unlearning as his 5th LP. Coming up in the early 90’s as part of the trio Dilated Peoples alongside Rakaa & DJ Babu. He’s also established himself as a solo artist along the way dropping his debut album The Weatherman under ABB Records in 2007 & making himself at home with the renown Minneapolis powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment for 16 years by now. Weather or Not ended the weather themes of his earlier stuff & is picking up where his last album left off on Unlearning 2.

“Plans Change” sets the tone with a funky Sebb Bash instrumental talking about the difference between him & everyone else is that he isn’t losing steam whereas “Different Phases” produced by Beat Butcha reiterating that he hasn’t read the rules to the game. “Future Memories” featuring Larry June has a jazzier vibe to it thanks to The Alchemist so they can talk about making shit happen leading into “Outta Bound” talking about being judged for coloring outside the lines.

The drums get stripped completely on “Seeing Double” advising to trust someone when you love them because there’s no other way just before the lo-fi, self-produced “Nothing to See Here” talking about his position as a rapper who ain’t playing a part. “Define Success” work in a piano instrumental so Ev can break down what it means to be successful from his perspective while the soulful “Stay Alive” featuring Blu enlists Conductor Williams to talk about something keeping them full of life.

“Nothing’s Perfect” taps in with Graymatter behind the boards likening his life to the music of a playlist while the chipmunk soul-infused “Favorite Injury” featuring Domo Genesis finds the 2 talking about staying impatient until their last breath. C-Lance carries the sampling onto “Top Seeded” himself a minimalist with a massive profile while the crooning “Greatest Motivation” featuring Theravada talks about needing hate because love’s complacent.

The Step Brothers reunite for the jazzy/boom bap crossover “Rain Every Season” explaining that their patience thins whenever they’re waiting for inspiration while “Laughing Last” talks about beating up a brick to the point where it’s out of shape. “Dutch Angle” lastly chops up a weary vocal sample to end Unlearning 2 staying even ‘til he’s titled & stating the idea of him being past tense in his city won’t happen.

Focusing less on comfort & more on transformation, Unlearning 2 uses the opportunity of Evidence’s previous album’s open-ending to his advantage pushing back against the concept of legacy by making a deeper & more instinctive exploration of his style. The production’s more soulful than its predecessor was 4 years earlier, creating an experimentally rooted sound with more determination than ever to turn pain into purpose through sharply intentional creativity in.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Aesop Rock – “Black Hole Superette” review

Here we have the 11th studio LP from New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd album with Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop had made himself home with for over a decade at this point. Blockhead had fully produced Garbology to acclaim & Integrated Tech Solutions has quickly received the same love The Impossible Kid, returning for a trip to the Black Hole Superette.

“Secret Knock” opens up shop with a quirky & futuristic self-produced instrumental advising to walk with him & opting to not go on any signal taking it in his own hands whereas “Checkers” works in elements of abstract conscious subject matter, space ambient, boom bap & illbient that made for a promising lead single. “Movie Nights” turns up the boom bap influences even more talking about his blue eyed dog & his cat prior to the synth-driven “EWR – Terminal A, Gate 20” explaining that vandals are unordinary now.

Armand Hammer teams up with Aesop on the collab “1010WINS” taking their consciously abstract pens to newer grounds with one another over a rap rock/boom bap hybrid while “So Be It” featuring Open Mike Eagle finds the 2 advising to not look down, sitting still & letting things fall. “Send Help” takes a jazzier boom bap approach to his sound & going nerdcore at the same time just before “John Something” brings lounge music in the fold recalling a man named John he met 3 decades ago referencing WWE Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali.

“Ice Sold Here” intricately describes how cold he is in many different ways while the funky “Costco” talks about the chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores operated by the multinational corporation. “Bird School” puts a cloudy spin on boom bap boasting his witchcraft pops up in the Atmos & everyone else’s taking practice, but then “Snail 0” wants to know what the fuck he’s supposed to do with this bagful of snails he has.

Lice gets together with Lupe Fiasco on “Charlie Horse” warning that everyone in their path should stay as clear from the streets as they possibly can while “Steel Wool” reflects on going from pairing cereals & cartoons back in the 80s to panicking in a war room turning up the quirky boom bap vibes. “Black Plums” tackles the theme of gardening admiring the way his fruit is getting fatter each summer & becoming a minute quantity of matter while “The Red Phone” talks about being the keeper of the keys.

“Himalayan Yak Chew” pushes further down the last 10 minutes or so of the album describing fish jumping in his boat whenever he pushes off of the dock without even getting a single duck in a row in addition to having a horse in the way when he gets his car without having 1 in the race & “Unbelievable Shenanigans” featuring Hanni El Khatib on the outro recalls a hamster he had almost 4 decades ago named Elizabeth as well as talking about the universe nothing if not silver lining stuffed into compartments.

Delving into the invisible forces that shape our lives & psyches, Black Hole Superette will become amongst Aesop Rock’s most technically accomplished bodies of work in his entire discography. The experimentally complex structures of his beats drawing further inspiration from space ambient, boom bap, jazz rap, rap rock & illbient attribute to that as much as his consciously abstract & occasionally nerdy lyrics portrayed from the perspective of a mad scientist seeing bigger picture of the small moments in our lives that wind up overlooked.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

billy woods – “GOLLIWOG” review

Washington, D.C.’s very own billy woods making his Rhymesayers Entertainment debut with his 13th studio LP. Whether you know him for teaming up with Elucid as the duo Armand Hammer or his own solo output like History Will Absolve Me & Dour Candy, there’s no denying that he’s been steadily holding it down for the abstract hip hop scene for a minute. 3 years following the Preservation-produced Aethiopes from top to bottom, Rhymesayers has brought him on board for GOLLIWOG.

“Jumpscare” produced by Steel Tipped Dove strips the drums to start us off likening himself to a rag doll playing dead whereas “Star87” turns up the psychedelic vibes thanks to Conductor Williams talking about his phone ringing off the hook tryna find the bodies he hid. “Misery” heavily bases itself around the 1990 film of the same name conceptually with Kenny Segal reuniting behind the boards for him just before “BLK XMAS” featuring Brusier Wolf might hurt R.A.P. Ferreira’s feelings since Sadhugold was involved due to the ongoing beef.

Meanwhile on “Waterproof Mascara”, we have Preservation & Billy throwing it back to the Aethiopes days leading into “Counterclockwise” linking up with one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist for my favorite song here airing out a serpent moving in the opposite direction of him. “Corinthians” featuring Despot brings the pair together to spit streams of consciousness over an El-P beat, but then “Pitchforks & Halos” finds himself where all the time has gone & idiots thinking he was simply rhyming at the last second.

“All These Worlds Are Yours” by Armand Hammer turns up the abstract lyrics over a DJ Haram instrumental while “Maquiladoras” featuring al.divino gets the 2nd half of Golliwog going talking about time always being on their side. “A Doll Fulla Pins” featuring Yolanda Watson likening herself to a doll with a bunch of pins in it while “Golgotha” keeps Messiah Musik in the fold reflecting on a woman he once loved now coming to terms that it was only a fling looking back at it.

Ant from Atmosphere brings a piano-heavy flare to “Cold Sweat” poking fun at the Pistons picking Darko Miličić over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh & Dwyane Wade until the conscious lyricism continues during “BLK ZMBY” explaining it’s because of him being very experienced in there being not that many things he doesn’t know from what he understands. “Make No Mistake” hides everything in the rhymes hence why everything needs to be dark when he’s on stage while “Born Alone” breaks down feeling lonely throughout life

The last 2 songs on billy’s official Rhymesayers debut Golliwog are both performed by Armand Hammer using “Lead Paint Test” featuring Cavalier using their childhood homes as a representation of a space haunted by the past & “Dislocated” finishes up the album with both members without any other guest talking about trying to not be found or simply going off the radar completely.

Aethiopes for a few years now has quickly become my favorite billy woods album & his official debut under Rhymesayers Entertainment has already surpassed it similarly to Elucid’s own Fat Possum Records debut Revelator last fall. His conceptually abstract, political/conscious & horror-inspired lyrics are taken from the doll Florence Kate Upton had created centuries earlier & the creatively experimental production points signs towards secondary influences of jazz rap, drumless & sound collage.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Kurious – “Majician.” review

Kurious is a 54 year old MC from the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York who originally came up under the moniker Kurious Jorge. He later signed to Columbia Records over 3 decades ago for the underrated full-length debut studio album A Constipated Monkey after shortening the stage name, returning 15 years later for the independently released sophomore effort II followed by a couple EPs: Koncrete Jungle & Monkeyman. For his 3rd LP however, Kurious has interestingly signed a new deal with Rhymesayers Entertainment & the late underground icon MF DOOM overseeing its creation before his untimely passing.

“Unknown Species” starts with this playfully jazzy intro hitting y’all with that funky new shit whereas “Untainted” puts more emphasis on funk music instrumentally talking about how the streets be promoting as much as it’s riddled with crime. “‘Tis the Season” soulfully feels compelled to spit the smartest within reason leading into “Eye of Horus” conveying urgency by weaving a complex tapestry of history & insight the midst of ducking through & under each pocket in the beat.

As for “1984”, we have Kurious over a sample that throws it back to 4 decades prior getting his b-boy bag lyrically just before “Teach & Forgive” brings a dusty boom bap flare to the table talking about everyone bring sinners & referring to the Earth as primal. “Separation Anxiety”, happens to be this a personal bloodletting in the form of lyrical exercise over this raw synth-driven instrumental, but then “Cow’s Eye” hooks up some horns to talk about feeling emptiness in the heart & the stomach burning being part of the game.

“Bacalao Opera” hops over a vocal sample charging it to the fact of protecting one’s inner vision while “Majical Journey” brings the synths back talking about respecting time so that it eventually respects us. “Barry Gibb” keeps the keen ear for sampling on display treating his people as if they’re royalty & “Par for the Course” featuring Mr. Fantastik makes drum breaks from the early Reagan era sound totally revitalized keeping this this thing of theirs crackin’.

The penultimate song “Open” featuring Homeboy Sandman nears the end of Majician. with both MCs on top of this drumless beat wanting to know exactly what the motive is recalling an unpleasant or embarrassing experience in the past that others would rather forget right after the “Majic” interlude, the closer “Come Back” has this symphonic vibe that I enjoy throughout addressing those who want the payoff & never craving chaos.

A mesmerizing blend of technical wizardry & personal introspection, the radical amount of work Kurious put into his Rhymesayers debut cements his place as one of the premier MCs of his time in addition to substantiating the legacy he has long deserved & removing all ambiguity from the question of whether he can stand as one of the premier MCs of his time. Mono En Stereo’s production feels nostalgically reminiscent to DOOM’s material & Kurious himself steps up his lyrics compared to his previous EPs.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Atmosphere – “Talk Talk” review

Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards following up their 13th LP So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously. Initially a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast!, they would later go on to build an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly of Sad Clown Bad Dub 9.. But it turns out Atmosphere has some outtakes from the sessions of their latest album & are compiling them into Talk Talk.

“Wetter” starts the EP for all the party people down the electro-trap instrumental whereas “Attachings” works in some synthesizers advising to never change & that everything’s happening whatever that even means. “Rotary Telephone” goes for a funkier approach to the beat so he can think out loud on wax prior to the dance-inspired “Don’t Mind Me” talking about deserving some levity & that everybody gets left behind in the end.

Meanwhile, the futuristic jam “Where I’m / You’re At” asks if anyone’s in the back of the front or the front of the back while the title track is taken straight from the new full-length that Atmosphere put out this spring. “Hear Hear” experiments with trap again saying you need someone here when you got something to hear while the wavy “Hello Pete” featuring Buck 65 & Kool Keith pulls out the receipts on the titular character.

“Make Party Politics” continues to draw near the end of the 2nd body of work from Slug & Ant this year fusing trap with electro music once more detailing that you don’t even know what the Hell you’re looking at & to not hold your breath prior to “Traveling Forever” ending the EP with a calming boom bap instrumental portraying himself is an endless traveler.

So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneouslyevoked the multiversal storytelling that’s recently vaulted into the mainstream consciousness & with this EP that came out of those very sessions, they dart across threads of space-time to grab hold of the one becoming titans of the sounds that was foundational to their youth. Ant’s production is more inspired by the likes of Kraftwerk & The Egyptian Lover so Slug can makes visions of the future from 4 decades ago seem new once again.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Aesop Rock – “Integrated Tech Solutions” review

New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock returning for his 10th full-length LP. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd album with Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop had made himself home with for over a decade at this point. But coming off the Blockhead-produced Garbology couple years ago, Aesop’s now offering Integrated Tech Solutions.

After the “ITS Way” intro, the first song & lead single “Mindful Solutionism” is a self-produced industrial nerdcore opener with elements of glitch hop & some humorously abstract consciousness on the lyrical side of things whereas “Infinity Fill Goose Down”musically feels like a bit of a throwback to his early Def Jux days from the experimental noise rap production to the lyrics about always being into something. “Living Curfew” featuring billy woods finds the 2 discussing crystals being in the handle of their hands up to the ember over a fucking crazy sample leading into a brief lesson about “Pigeonometry” with some rap rock undertones to the beat.

“Kyanite Toothpick” blends industrial hip hop with boom bap & trap to declare that he’s on that Mobius shit just before “100 Feet Tall” goes for a quirkier sound talking about not letting any fools or suckas in his circle. “Salt & Pepper Squid” displays an incredibly charismatic flow from Aesop Rock as he flexes how y’all exactly know when he’s made it, but then “Time Moves Differently Here” goes for a spacier feeling instrumentally so he can end the first leg of the album pretty much talking about gluttony.

To start the 2nd half of Integrated Tech Solutions, “Aggressive Steven” fuses rap rock with boom bap & even some soul samples telling the story of the titular character while “Bermuda” keeps it dusty bringing more kicks & snares into the picture talking about flowers being sent to him. “By the River” goes for a jazzier vibe expressing how much he likes rivers while “All City Nerve Map” looks to get out of his own nightmare by himself over a boom bap beat with a blobby loop.

Hail Mary Mallon reunites for the rap rock-infused “Forward Compatibility Engine” letting it be known that this is for the roof dogs only while the “On Failure” interlude mixes more guitar riffs with kicks & snares admitting that he was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh recently. More specifically the Landscape with Snow painting. Getting back to the music: “Solid Gold” goes for more of a hardcore approach acknowledging he’s always looking out while “Vititus” is a luxurious boom bap cut dedicated to his grandmother. “Black Snow” hypnotically ends the album boasting that he got stacks covered by the stove.

Aesop’s output on Rhymesayers throughout these past 7 years have been his most conceptual since Labor Days & he continues to move towards that trajectory on Integrated Tech Solutions because this is the best thing he’s done for the Minnesota indie powerhouse since The Impossible Kid. We are introduced to an organization offering “lifestyle & industry-specific applications designed to curate a desired multi-experience” with his production probably being the leanest & most innovative.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Atmosphere – “So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously” review

Atmosphere is a revered underground duo from Minneapolis, Minnesota consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards. Initially a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast!, they would later go on to build an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9. Last we heard from them was WORD? a year & a half ago which wasn’t a bad return to form for them considering the mixed reception The Day Before Halloween got for it’s experimentation, but are back again for album #13.

“Okay” is a cheerful opener to the album assuring that everything will work itself out in the end whereas “Eventide” dives into boom bap territory talking about someone pretending not to hear Slug & pulling it off in an insincere manner. “Sterling” has more of a rap rock flare to it this time around admits that he’s running like he’s up against the clock, but then “Dotted Lines” fuses more guitars with kicks & snares talking about being unsure as to what to say to his woman.

Meanwhile, we have Atmosphere diving into funkier turf on “In My Head” encouraging someone to wake him up & check to see if he still has a pulse leading into “Crop Circles” talking about to do whatever it takes to making the same mistakes twice over a crooning beat. “Portrait” returns to the boom bap confessing he’s trying to treat his body like a church these days, but then “It Happened Last Morning” has a more industrial sound to it discussing a panic attack he had on first avenue.

“Thanxiety” makes it known that you gotta stop & try to smell your own accomplishments sometimes over some synthesizers & thumping drum patterns while the 6-minute “September Fool’s Day” talks about how this is more than production & showmanship over a piano instrumental. “Talk Talk” embraces a more electro-funk sound assuring there’s nothing here to fear & to set your secrets free while “Watercolors” has a more stripped-back sound talking about feeling like he’s driven by the sacrifice to suffer from the hunger of composure.

Moving on from there, “Holding My Breath” is a soulful reggae hybrid discussing never feeling alone when I’m alone by himself while “Still Life” keeps it tranquil talking about the whole thing being pretty like a painting even though it’s all coming to an end. “After Tears” by Sa-Roc serves as an interlude with a chipmunk soul instrumental tackling a heartbreak that’s threatening to escalate while “Positive Space” talking about haunting record players.

The penultimate song “Bigger Pictures” gets ready to round out the album with an acoustic guitar accompanied by kicks & snares looking back on his life up to this point but after the “Truth & Nail” interlude, the final song “Sculpting with Fire” psychedelically blurs the lines between self-reflection and derealization. However, the outro & official closer is actually a reprise to the opener “Okay” aptly titled “Alright”.

Of the 3 albums that Slug & Ant have given us since COVID changed the world forever, there’s no doubt in my mind that So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously has to be my favorite of the bunch so far. The production here is more gentle in comparison to all of their previous efforts combined as they present an unnerving excavation of paranoia that can be grafted onto the general malaise of a pandemic weary society full of civil unrest.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!