hard charging rap from a near future dystopia. an east coast rap vet and a southern rap vet continue a partnership that makes us ask why we ever thought the pairing was strange. production is equal parts classicist construction and futuristic electronic texture. lyrics are equal parts battle rap braggadocio and political anger. the chemistry between el-p and killer mike and the guests (and their interplay w/ the beats) is top-notch (as is the all technical execution). aggressive, angry, cathartic, and fun. if you like rap, you should like this.

RIYL: public enemy, outkast, goodie mob, company flow, jedi mind tricks, ratking, etc (sonically different from all of them, but similar musical goals).

1. killer mike barks a few threats at the studio and a lurching beat kicks in. mike slowly but aggressively delivers on his threats. beat hiccups for a second a couple minutes in and el-p drops by to talk some shit. grainy synths over deep bassy synths with little bits of horn (sax?) in the background later on. 3:21
2. disturbing manipulated childrens vocals for part of the hook. stuttering snares and cymbals and hats and claps. rumbling bassline and kicks become hard to separate. this is the one track that’s edited by just dropping sound momentarily for each FCC violation. which is slightly annoying, but also just adds to the overall disorienting feel, so it works ok. back and forth double-time raps, firmly in battle mode. 3:24
3. opens w/ background guitar whine and squelchy synth, then distorted 4/4 kick for the first few bars, then it slips into a half-time lurch and more layers of dirty synth melody come in (same switch up happens a couple more times). some scratching just after midway. a series of highly entertaining physical threats and character besmirchments. also, has a great video. 2:32
4. sample of zack de la rocha’s chorus is chopped up with gunshots and bassy guitar riffs and looped over booming slightly distorted drums to form the majority of the beat. occasional echo on the vocals. nice balance between dismissing sucker MCs and complaining about things that make you hate the government. great guest verse from ZDLR. 3:54
5. short wordless vocal run to open. beat kicks in, an rumbling keyboard bassline, slowly shuffling drums, and a creeping 8-bit night-time-video-game-level synth. little bits of wordless singing and bright guitar woven throughout in the background. drums drop out for a bit just after 2:00. screwed vocals on the hook. 3:07
6. backmasked drums to open, with plinky woodblocks and atmospheric pads. then bigger kicks enter, and weird rising synth squiggles. manipulated vocals all over the hook. el-p keeps it a little more abstract, mike keeps it a little more political, but both do both things. great example of el-p’s ability to take classic hip-hop production elements and incorporate them into something strange and new. 3:28
7. opens with slowly descending guitar line and 80s science class filmstrip synths. drums crash in and synth line gets more sinister. two good verses about being a cog in the machine: mike being forcefully in front of his wife and kids for weed possession, el dealing with the all too videogame like occupation of military drone pilot. 3:44
8. crunchy clattering drums and double-time battle raps. weird effects laden yells at the opening and right before the choruses. 2:47
9. hip-hop sex jams are all too often totally paint by numbers, but this one is pretty much perfect. the beat is weird and filthy: slow stuttering drums, a filtered/fuzzed undulating synth line, and random horn and vocal sample blurts. well executed girls vs boys verse structure, with gangsta boo having no trouble one-upping mike and el on the last verse. 3:45
10. opens with bouncy pulsing bassline and hazy glowing synth. steady loping drum machine comes in, with punchy kicks and ticky/trappy hats. drums drop out at points to allow things to brighten up and breathe for a moment. mike raps about letting go of guilt from his drug dealing past, el plays a character starting to accept rationalizations for joining the military. 3:45
11. thick buzzing bassline, jumpy kick drum and ticky hi-hats. sampled soul/funk moans a bit buried in the mix. half-time raps that occasionally slip into double-time. a bit of shit talking, a bit of reflection, and some of the best vocal cadences on the album (lots of great interplay with the beat on this album, but esp here). fake-out ending, and a reprise with queasy/detuned piano and strings. 5:08

recommended: 3, 7, 11, 9, 6