Tag: Vic Spencer

Vic Spencer – “Greenthumbs Meets Trigger Fingers” review

This is the 6th EP from Chicago, Illinois veteran Vic Spencer. Throughout the past decade or so, he’s made up a lengthy solo discography for himself with highlights including the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced The Ghost of Living to the SonnyJim-produced Spencer for Higher trilogy. Last time we heard from Vic was over the fall when he dropped the Stu Bangas-produced I.M.P.a.C.T. (I Must Punch a Car Today) & here we are 3 months later with him enlisting 38 Spesh behind the boards so Greenthumbs can meet Trigger Fingers.

“Fireproof” is a jazzy opener about how he’s gotten better with age whereas “Chicago Heights” with The Musalini takes a more funkier yet orchestral approach as both MCs get boastful on the lyrical front. “Match Made in Heaven” has a more solemn approach sonically asking what you do with the same 24 hours as him prior to the lavish “Summertime Crimes” talking about doing a lot of shit on his own. The song “Wisemind” with Rome Streetz has a more mystical beat as they touch on their wisdom while the penultimate track “Hog Tied” over an organ-laced instrumental cashing out on broke rappers. “Hard to Get” with Rasheed Chappell is a groovy closer talking about hitting them drums in the slums like blues percussion.

I.M.P.a.C.T. (I Must Punch a Car Today) wound up being my favorite project that Vic dropped last year & Greenthumbs Meets Trigger Fingers is on par if not superior in my personal opinion. The performances from the features are a bit more consistent than they were on the last EP, but that doesn’t stop Spesh’s production & Vic’s lyricism gelling as well as they do with one another.

Score: 4/5

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Vic Spencer – “I.M.P.a.C.T. (I Must Punch a Car Today)” review

Vic Spencer is a 41 year old MC from Chicago, Illinois who emerged in the early 2010s as a member of the local SAVEMONEY collective led by Vic Mensa. He’s also made up a lengthy solo discography for himself with highlights including the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced The Ghost of Living to the SonnyJim-produced Spencer for Higher trilogy. Vic’s already dropped a total of 3 albums in 2022 so far with the last one being the final installment of the Psychological Cheat Sheet trilogy a couple months ago & overt the weekend, he happened to enlist Boston underground veteran Stu Bangas to produce his 5th EP that surprise-dropped over the weekend.

“Spitbook” opens the EP with a horn sample with the drums kicking in halfway though calling himself perfect with the pen & pad whereas “Contractor” takes a more eerie boom bap route talking about getting fucked when people sign their lives away to shady record labels. “Confederate Flag Couch” has a more synth-based groove to it admitting that he’s fed up with people doubting him, but then Ankhlejohn & Fly Anakin come into the picture for the raw “Rusty Silverware” reminding that they ain’t to be fucked with.

However on “Bag Pipes”, we have Crimeapple tagging along with Vic over a jazzy instrumental dropping some gangsta bars just before the smooth “Pure Carnage” advises not to tell him about anything that they haven’t even gone through. “Graveyard Record Book” goes full-blown chipmunk soul explaining his violent while the song “Disappointed Development” with Sulaiman finds the 2 over a drumless loop talking about how it’s just another sad story. The penultimate track “RPG” featuring D. Brash has a more rugged quality to it so both of them can drop battle bars until the synthesizer-lenient boom bap closer “Strung Out” featuring Da Villins continuing to bring the hardcore lyrically.

“The Healing Remedy” was a favorite of mine off Beats & Blood, so it was really a matter of time before these guys did something together & it turns out to be my favorite Vic EP to date. The lyricism is some of his most abstract since Still Here back in the spring with Stu’s production teetering between boom bap & drumless.

Score: 4/5

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