ALBUM REVIEW: SV & Alyssa Jane – Neo Phily

Boston producer and Jim’s Pool Room Records co-founder Sean ‘SV’ Veligor and New England rapper/singer/songwriter Alyssa Jane join  forces on their debut joint record “Neo Phily”, which serves as both a follow-up to Alyssa’s 2021 debut album “grey area” and SV’s 2023 compilation project “My Corrhiza”. In my review of the latter, I stated that Alyssa was THE (yes, this word will be presented yet again in caps) standout performer on “My Corrhiza”, thanks to her diverse range in rapping and singing. She also displayed a willingness to wear her heart on her sleeve, even when she’s going hard on solo cuts like “Dopeness Right There” (whose chorus alone is still lodged in my brain since I first heard the song back in JANUARY of last year) or collabs like “Without You” and “The Tree” featuring Jim’s Pool Room artists Capo and Gage respectively.

Going back to Alyssa’s debut record, it’s interesting – and probably intentional – that it bears the same name as the excellent 2019 album from British rapper/singer Little Simz. Not only was that album my official introduction to Little Simz’ work, but it presented a rapper unafraid to address her flaws and insecurities through engaging and relatable introspection whilst showcasing her truly impressive lyrical dexterity. After the first few listens I gave “Neo Phily”, I checked out Alyssa’s “grey area” and from a production standpoint, I can see how her penchant for smooth, low-key beat selections fits so well with SV’s moody, mid-tempo instrumentation.

What’s interesting about “Neo Phily” is that it feels like a thematic expansion of “grey area” and a thematic / sonic expansion of the SV and Alyssa Jane tracks on “My Corrhiza”. Therefore, fans of Alyssa who were probably expecting her 2023-released singles like the respective smooth jazz and bossa nova crossovers “Karma Suits Ya” and “NEW PR!” to be packaged into a new album may have to wait a while longer. This is entirely an Alyssa and SV presentation to the extent of having NO guest features, not even from Jim’s Pool Room.

The album’s rewording of the term “neophilia” (love or enthusiasm for what’s new) and the juxtaposition of diurnal and nocturnal imagery in its cover art hint at the journey the listener is about to embark on. It’s a journey where the ‘new’ is right in front of us but the ‘old’ is not that far behind, and where light and dark co-exist, both externally and internally. From the opening track and third single “Kerosene”, SV and Alyssa establish the emotional ‘grey areas’ the listener will experience on this journey. The post-hook alone sets up the album’s main theme of emotional duality (“Tonight, I be quick to remember that I live two lives / Not talking about a disguise”). Though SV’s beat on this track is smooth, wavy and laid-back with some pleasantly jazzy horns and guitars in the mix, Alyssa wrestles with her own self-doubt while presenting herself as unwavering in her pursuit towards greatness in her life and career. She accepts her imperfect self, but the only way for her to attain some level of perfection in her life is obviously to move forward.  Performance-wise, Alyssa sounds so natural over SV’s production, effortlessly switching between rapping, singing and even vocalizing, as she does on the pre-hook after the first verse.

Compared to SV’s last instrumental, the production on the following track “Leave” sounds moodier, darker and significantly hypnotic, with its synth keys, drums and occasional embellishments of sax. It’s as if something unnerving – an emotion or memory perhaps – is creeping into Alyssa’s subconscious. Thematically and lyrically, this is one of the album’s darkest moments as Alyssa finds herself stuck in a particular rut in her life, desiring to leave everything behind in search for answers. 

Her emotional burdens get heavier on the next track “Pressed” where on the beat, we get this odd, brief skipping effect on the drums during the non-vocal sections of the track. It’s a subconsciously self-aware aspect of the song, as I saw it as a representation of how unclear Alyssa’s life path is. I will confess that during my first listen to this track, I swore some background process on my laptop was causing the song to stutter while I was playing it on Spotify. Sporadic Windows 10 annoyances aside, “Pressed” is easily one of the album’s best songs! Yes, the beat is great – even with the ‘skips’ – but it’s Alyssa’s vocal range that makes this song work. She embodies the emotional baggage she’s dealing with at this point in the record through her vocals, whether it’s the smoothly-sung, catchy-as-hell hook, the slightly heightened expressiveness of her raps, or her gradually aggressive post-chorus after the first verse.

Up next is the album’s second single “Trip on Me” which features this dreamy mix of R&B-styled drums, trap percussion and retro-80s synths. As the title implies, someone’s emotionally tripping on Alyssa  (a fan, a friend, a potential partner perhaps) and as the superbly trippy animated music video suggests, she’s taking this person on this psychedelic, mental journey through her highs and lows. Once again, she’s embracing her flawed, imperfect self and in the context of the song, hopes that this ‘visitor’ gains a deeper understanding of who she is before taking their friendship or relationship one step further.

Speaking of relationships and ‘tripping’ on people, there’s the album’s lead single “Down to Zero”, where Alyssa raps and sings about not being able to get her ex out of her mind and wanting to rekindle their obviously fractured relationship (“I just need you to know that you’ve been on my mind / Ever since the second we decided to break the bond”). SV’s instrumental perfectly sets the melancholy tone of the song with its somber piano keys and light snares and synth notes in the background.  The hook is well thought out, as Alyssa flips the “ready or not” kid’s game into a heartfelt plea that not only will her ex be close by when she finishes her count from ten to zero, but she’ll be capable of finding him before he’s considered ‘lost’. If I have one gripe with “Down to Zero”, I felt it deserved a second verse, given how exceptionally well-written this song was.

The album’s final leg begins with “How it’s Made” and “If You Been Bad” where Alyssa picks herself up from the lows she’s been experiencing on this record thus far. The former track features a droning ambient beat laced with boom-bap drums and a pitch-shifted vocal chop. Alyssa puts this beat to great use as she reduces her self-loathing and regains her confidence through some much-deserved self-affirmation. Her opening lines establish the mindset she’s in at this stage on the album: “Sympathetic to the ones before you / They got a side of me I can never undo / Had to pick up the slack to be something / Now I’m working overtime to deliver my cool”. And throughout this song, she’s boastful with her bars, vulnerable with her emotions and grateful for the support she’s received from her fans and loved ones during the mentally tumultuous times in her life.

We then get what is my opinion the BEST SONG on this record: “If You Been Bad”. SV’s production has a distinctly dramatic flair to it, as if I’m  hearing a spacey, boom-bap version of a spaghetti western theme composed by the late, great Ennio Morricone (kids, ask your parents). Alyssa delivers what is essentially a therapy session on wax, with these freestyle-like raps centered on how her music has helped her cope with mental, emotional and even spiritual loss over the years. The second verse shows a startling amount of growth on the record, as Alyssa mentions the recent support she gave to her father and acknowledges the creative medium of music as a true blessing in her life. And yet near the end of the song, she shows awareness of how easy it is to slip back into the darkness, breaking hearts and burning bridges in the process (“Staying out of trouble cuz the karma’s active”).

With the inspirational highs given by those two tracks, I guess it’s fitting that “Neo Phily” concludes on a dour note with “Slow Motion”. I say ‘guess’ because while a part of me wishes we got a brighter, optimistic ending to the record – with Alyssa’s confidence back up and her life back on track – the reality is that life itself doesn’t play out like that. Try as we may, there will be moments of uncertainty, pain and stress that will inevitably pop up after the moments of joy, happiness and peace of mind. And I have to applaud Alyssa and SV for concluding their project with that harsh truth in mind. SV saves his most somber instrumental for last with a beat consisting of frail, disenchanted piano keys, amplified quite effectively by vinyl crackle.  As the title suggests, Alyssa finds herself moving in slow motion thanks to the “creeping” demons she’s been addressing and fighting throughout the record.  Like the equally distressing “Down to Zero”, this is another track where I felt a second verse was absolutely needed. With its near-minute and 45 second runtime, making it the shortest track on the album, “Slow Motion” feels more like a ‘To be Continued’ than a ‘The End’. But maybe that’s the point. It’s not supposed to be the end of this neophilic journey. There’ll be more pain and struggles to endure on this path but there’ll also be more blessings and achievements to be had on it as well. In other words, this Neo Phily story is still being written, and each page begins with one step forward.

Overall, “Neo Phily” is yet another top-quality album from Jim’s Pool Room Records and a thoroughly entertaining project from Alyssa Jane and SV. It’s also a remarkably cohesive record, thanks to the seamless blending of SV’s mood-inducing instrumentals and Alyssa’s reflective lyrics and heartfelt vocal performances. Creatively, the sky’s the limit for these two and I can’t wait to hear what they put out next!

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

Now available on Spotify and neophily.com

ALBUM REVIEW – Dookie Bros – Happy Dook Year

For my first album review of 2024, I’ll be covering my first album listen of 2024: the newest record from Canadian rap duo Dookie Bros – “Happy Dook Year”! For those who forgot the first two paragraphs of my “Merry Shitmas” review from last December, Dookie Bros consists of rapper/producer/boom-bap torchbearer Shy The BeatYoda and fellow rapper Franchise.

Last year, they dropped three solid (Get it? Dropped…..solid) EPs in the forms of “Manure Music Vols. 1 & 2” and “Merry Shitmas”, the latter of which not only made it to my Top 10 bracket of BEST ALBUMS OF 2023 but stands as a shining example of Christmas-themed rap music done right! And like “Merry Shitmas”, “Happy Dook Year” is a 21-minute record with production handled entirely by Shy, no guest features and its thematic focus centered on a particular occasion. In this case, it’s about….well…..starting off the new year right. As we all should know, it’s always beneficial to go into the new year with some sort of hope, faith and optimism, even if you don’t have a clear idea of everything you’ll be doing in the new year or you’re still hung up on the losses you dealt with the year before.

And that’s the exact vibe Dookie Bros brings to the table, resulting in a project that sounds and feels more mature and focused in tone compared to “Merry Shitmas”. Now that the Christmas season is over and Mariah Carey is cryogenically frozen until November 1st, a new year has started and it’s time for the Dookie Bros to execute their game plan. Franchise and Shy sound so hungry and laser-focused on this album that even their penchant for raunchy humour is dialed back a considerable bit.

From the opening track “The Dream Team’, Dookie Bros sound determined to establish their names as one of hip hop’s greatest duos. Interestingly, it uses a snippet from an old WWF promo for the tag team The Dream Team – and as a professional wrestling fan myself, I did appreciate that bit of schooling into the awesomeness that was Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. Periodically on the record, we hear snippets of WWF promos with wrestlers either doing hyped-up tough-talk or expressing how fired up they are for starting a new year in their legendary careers. The instrumental for “The Dream Team” features an 80s-inspired electric guitar solo laced with leisured drums, which altogether sounds like a boom-bap reinterpretation of a classic wrestling entrance theme. Shy comes through with some solid punchlines, most of which include pop culture references (points for that “Moonraker” bar, by the way)  and Franchise compliments him with an exceptionally written and performed verse.

The heat turns up on the following track “The Real Dookie”. Just to touch on that title for a bit, its hook, like “The Dream Team”, involves a short succession of DJ cuts, but the Notorious B.I.G. sample used in it was always one of those things I never noticed on that specific song (I’m not going to say which one) until hearing it on this track! But anyway, over an upbeat, punchy mix of piano keys and drums, Franchise and Shy SPAZZ THE SHIT OUT, each delivering a VERSE OF THE YEAR CONTENDER!! Yes, you read it first!

Both the vocal chops added to the opening of “Flush ‘Em Down” and the hook provided by Franchise are sure to please many Public Enemy fans as this song cleverly interpolates the 1991 classic “Shut ‘Em Down” – which, in case you didn’t know, has one of the GREATEST Pete Rock remixes attached to it (If you haven’t listened to it, please do. You might need a neck brace after listening to it, however. Don’t say I didn’t warn you)! In this case, Dookie Bros share their heightened frustration over the depths some rappers would stoop to to get their music noticed and appreciated, particularly by adopting a rugged, gun-toting and drug-dealing persona. On his verse in particular, Shy warns these funk-fakers to not approach him at all, whether on wax or in real life.

Sonically, the next track “Dope Shit” is sure to please fans of coke rap, specifically the Daringer-produced songs regularly released from Griselda Records, thanks to its menacing piano chords, clinking percussion in the back of the mix that sounds like a certain something is being mixed in a jar with a spoon (if you know, you know) and a cleverly-chosen Westside Gunn vocal sample. Thankfully, Dookie Bros are self-aware enough NOT to do an actual coke rap song, since they already called out certain rappers for copying and pasting that drug-dealing lifestyle into their rhymes. As the title suggests, they’re simply informing the listener that their lyrics alone are DOPE. However, they’re just as addictive as actual dope because once you hear their 16’s, you’ll most likely come out of this song wishing you got a third verse!

Up next, we get “The Missile Launcher II”, the official sequel to a track that appeared on their debut record “When the Shit Hits The Fan”. Vocally and instrumentally, both tracks exhibit a grimy, Demigodz-esque, lyrical beatdown vibe. Surprisingly enough, this sequel plays like a literal reflection of its predecessor, where Franchise spits his verse first, ta vocal chop is used that’s similar but not the exact one used in the previous “Missile Launcher”, and Shy raps over the mellower instrumental (this is a two-beat song, by the way) while Franchise gets the aggressive one to do his thing. Both songs are fire, but in the case of “The Missile Launcher II”, this feels like a solid entry in what could be a “Missile Launcher” series spanning future Dookie Bros albums.

The album winds down with its lead single “I Luh This Shit” (not luv, mind you…. LUH!) where Dookie Bros express their love for hip hop over a smooth boom-bap instrumental. On his verse, Franchise draws inspiration from classic “I Love hip hop” songs like “I Used to Love H.E.R.” and “Act Too (The Love of my Life)” as he uses a woman he’s attracted to as a metaphor to describe the passion he feels for rap music. Shy takes a more personal approach to this topic by mentioning the sacrifices he’s made for his rap career and how he has no plans on throwing in the towel anytime soon. In short, “I Luh This Shit” is anthemic, inspirational and tailor-made for true hip hop fans like myself!

And with the closing track “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, Dookie Bros deliver what is in my opinion the best SONG on this album and one of their best songs PERIOD! There’s a sense of gracefulness and beauty to Shy’s beat, with its sentimental piano chords and laid-back drums. But it’s the sentiment of the song that stands out the most. Here, Franchise and Shy close their album off strongly with some truly heartfelt bars centered on their continued steps towards rap immortality, writing their own story as they trod on this chosen path of theirs.

Overall, “Happy Dook Year” is yet another solid entry into the already-impressive discography of Dookie Bros! Shy and Franchise’s hunger and drive are palpable throughout this album’s 7-track duration, heightened further by their razor-sharp wordplay and emotionally-driven instrumentals. For me, they certainly kicked off this year on a strong note and here’s hoping theirs is filled with great accomplishments and tons and tons of dookie!

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

Now available on all streaming platforms

EP REVIEW – Dookie Bros – Merry Shitmas

Now you’re probably watching the title of this EP and name of this group and asking yourself – to quote the recently-completed animated TV series “Archer” – “WHAT THE SHIT?!” But yes folks, this is an actual musical recording from an actual music group. Dookie Bros consists of Canadian rappers Franchise and Shy The Beatyoda, the latter of whom produced this record.

Prior to my deep-dive into the Dookie Bros discography, which consists of their debut album “When the Shit Hits the Fan”, maxi-single “The Slapper” featuring Keith Murray and EPs “Manure Music Vols. 1 & 2”, I wasn’t familiar with Franchise at all. But I did know of Shy’s work, thanks to his collaborative record with North Carolina singer/rapper E Smitty (as the Soul Powers) called “The Beginning Of” which was MY top favorite album of 2021. And I also took note of how undeniable his chemistry is with other artists, whether it’s Toronto rapper LeZeppo on the Guillotine Shark debut “Merky Waters” or E Smitty, LeZeppo and a handful of other rappers on the 2022 record “Shy The Beatyoda Presents: Rebel Embassy”.

On paper, “Merry Shitmas” is pretty self-explanatory: a rap duo doing a Christmas rap album which, in the world of hip hop, is nothing new. I’d make the argument that the reason why there aren’t any memorable examples of a major label rap album release dedicated to Christmas is the over-reliance on traditional and generic tropes associated with the holiday for creative inspiration. Yes, there’s a number of noteworthy hip hop singles about Christmas, but not an album unfortunately. There are, however, independent releases like Cookin Soul’s “XMAS” mash-up mixtapes and quite recently, Amerigo Gazaway’s “Another Christmas Album” and Funky DL’s “A Vintage Soulful Boom Bap Christmas”, all of which are solid projects in their own right! But occasionally, you’d get an ‘experiment’ like “Jim Jones Presents: 12 Days of Xmas” where…..I’ll put it this way….the last track off “Manure Music Vol. 2” pretty much sums up the way I felt when I listened to that record last year!

So as you can tell, YES, I know my shit when it comes to “Christmas rap”. And that’s why I can safely say that “Merry Shitmas” is one of, if not the best, Christmas rap projects I’ve ever heard! And no, I’m not saying this because I’m obligated to or whatever. It’s a really, REALLY solid record! If you’re not familiar with Dookie Bros’ output over the past couple years, you should know going into this record that their rap styles hearken back to the good ol’ days of mid 90s to early 2000s hardcore hip hop, with crass, over-the-top and downright hilarious bars that remind me so much of what Method Man and Redman were doing when they linked up on a record!

And you get that on the opening / title track “Merry Shitmas”, with these raunchy and wickedly clever rhymes from Franchise and Shy and a witty reworking of the “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” hymn on the hook over a delightful mix of head-nodding boom-bap drums and Christmas carol-based melodies. The production on this record is consistently top-notch, in the sense that it doesn’t simply borrow all-too familiar bits of instrumentation or vocal samples and loop them in a lazy, half-assed attempt to evoke nostalgia. There’s genuine effort put into crafting memorable boom bap beats here, to the point that you can take out the Yuletide samples and they still sound great!

Shy’s sample choices are on-point on this record, and like on “The Beginning Of”, you really get the sense of his DJ Premier-like, encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to recorded vocals. Take the following track “Do You Hear what I Hear” where, over a moody, string-assisted instrumental, he incorporates a vocal sample from a rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, a popular De La Soul sample and, much to my surprise, an ONYX sample! And somehow, the latter sample FITS within in the context of the song which, also to my surprise, is a heartfelt expression from both Shy and Franchise of the mood-changing and life-altering power of their music and lyrics.

On the subject of lyrics, I really appreciated the diverse subject matter Dookie Bros brought to the table….or should I say, toilet (HA!)… on “Merry Shitmas”! Like their previous records, a recurring theme on this EP is their underdog status. They’re better than the average rapper and producer, and yet they feel like they’re being shitted on by them, so obviously their best course of action is to throw that shit back at them! 

Even on the single “Charlie Brown”, they draw inspiration from one of my go-to Christmas TV specials “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to inform their haters of how incredibly dope they are on the mic and behind the boards. With a smartly selected sample from Vince Guaraldi’s TIMELESS piano-driven score from that special, Franchise and Shy craft this fun and delightfully jazzy dance song, whilst telling the audience that this is the DOPEST rap song centered on Charlie Brown and Christmas….EVER!

Like “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Dookie Bros also touch on the disappointment one feels around the holiday season, particularly when you’re young and constantly told of all the wonder and magic to look forward to. On “Holy Shit”, which features the EP’s catchiest and FUNNIEST hook, Shy and Franchise each regale the listener with a story about that significant moment in their childhood when they realized that Santa Claus doesn’t exist. 

In both a cynical and non-cynical way, you can understand why Franchise and Shy approach the holiday season – and the album as a whole – the way they do. There’s a sly irony to “Merry Shitmas” as it shows Christmas from the perspective of two rappers who’re clearly annoyed by the regurgitated topics and themes of many Christmas songs and their many, MANY cover versions.

So it’s only right that they take one of the most beloved and meme-worthy Christmas songs of all time – Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” – and rework it into a sex jam WITH THE SAME TITLE and a modified version of the now-iconic chorus! The dreamy, doo-wop-inspired beat is an absolute mood-setter and lyrically, Franchise delivers these smooth, sensual bars to his sexual partner, while Shy does some salacious sexcapade storytelling akin to his song “Family Matters” off the “When The Shit Hits the Fan” album.

But it’s not all shit-talking and freaky shit on “Merry Shitmas”. There’s the penultimate track “There’s Always Tomorrow” which, the more I think about it, is my top favorite song on this EP! The production is so lavish and lovely, driven by a heartwarming vocal sample from the classic Christmas TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Franchise and Shy are at their most sincere and thoughtful as they assure the listener not to be overwhelmed and stressed out over the time allotted to us to achieve our goals. 

Failures will occur and we won’t achieve everything we work towards in a short space of time, but we should learn to reassess, recharge and continue moving forward. The beauty of this song is how it relates to our everyday lives and not a specific holiday or season. And even with its Christmas-based instrumentation, the song itself is so relatable and meaningful, you can literally listen to it any time of the year, especially when you find yourself feeling depressed, disappointed and stuck in some stage in your life.

Dookie Bros keep their hearts on their sleeves on the final track “Misfits” which, if you’re familiar with the soundtrack to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, you’ll truly admire the placement of this track after “There’s Always Tomorrow”. Set to a rousing, big-band and boom-bap beat driven by a sample from the Lou Rawls song “Christmas Will Really Be Christmas”, Shy and Franchise re-affirm their misfit statuses, staying true to their styles and sounds without conforming to current, flash-in-the-pan musical trends. Both emcees are appropriately bold and unapologetic on their verses and shared hook, but it’s Shy’s verse that steals the show, particularly in the way he defends his production style and the self-aware bar he uses to close the song.

As a whole, I absolutely enjoyed the near-22 minutes of “Merry Shitmas”! It features some of Dookie Bros’ best performances and Shy’s best production to date, and it delivers on the Christmas / anti-Christmas vibes I expected from both its title and album cover. And like the great Christmas and anti-Christmas movies of yesteryear, I can see myself revisiting “Merry Shitmas” on an annual basis. If you’re looking for a Christmas rap album to vibe to for the holidays, definitely seek this one out!

OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10

Now available on all streaming platforms

ALBUM REVIEW: Mike Flips, Nord1kone & Seize – Life Cycles

In a documentarian-like tone, the narrator states the following: “Starting off small to growing up to producing the next generation. All living things have a life cycle. Each day just as important as the last”. But it’s the next fact, which may slip past listeners’ ears, that’s crucial to understanding this album: “Different groups of organisms all have different kinds of life cycles”. Simply put, while you may not have gone through what Nord1kone went through or accomplished what he did, those same three aspects of life – birth, growth and reproduction – are just a part of his life as they are ours. But as we know, there is a fourth and final aspect of life, but more on that later. 

This narration, part of the intro track “The Business of Life”, lays the thematic groundwork for “Life Cycles”, the first collaboration between   Bay Area rapper Nord1kone and the beatmaking duo of UK producer Mike Flips and Australian producer Seize. The groundwork itself was established earlier in Nord1kone’s life after learning of his wife’s pregnancy. Additionally, this album is the follow-up to Nord1kone’s collaborative record with DJ/ producer and fellow Outsiders Syndicate member LMT Break “Respect the Skills”, where their undeniable chemistry and dedication to keeping the flag of boom-bap raised resulted in one of my favorite records of 2022. 

After “The Business of Life”, “Life Cycles” kicks off with “Lows and Highs”, a track I imagine will go over well at a live show thanks to its smooth, laid-back beat, lyrics centered on honing one’s craft and following your passions, and of course its engaging, crowd-moving hook. On the subject of hook, I do like how it’s framed as this daily metaphorical fight between the listeners and the external and internal forces blocking them from accomplishing their goals (“Keep your head down, G, but your eye to the sky / Knuckles up in-between the lows and highs”). Following that is the lead single “Better Days” which features this sunny, grooving-on-a-Sunday-afternoon-like beat that is easily one of this album’s best instrumentals. Though I couldn’t identify all the samples utilized on the hook, I did notice the blink-and-you-miss-it vocal from the CLASSIC rap song “Remember We” from Brooklyn rap group Da Bush Babees. With a great second verse from veteran rapper and regular collaborator El Da Sensei, Nord1kone dedicates his two verses to his gradual maturity as a man and rapper. And speaking of “Groovin’” (kids, ask your parents), the brief string section that appears during Nord1kone’s outro is GORGEOUS, adding an extra layer of warmth and nostalgia to the production. 

We then get the title track which is, in my opinion, THE best song on this album! I LOVE the nocturnal, ethereal vibe of Seize and Mike Flips’ production, further heightened with a wisely-selected vocal sample of the late, great MF DOOM (from “The Finest”, one of my favorite songs off “Operation: Doomsday”) at the beginning and a brief, haunting bit of female vocalizing peppered throughout the track. Nord1kone taps into his past experiences and present situations to advise us that we must embrace the ups and downs of our life cycles as they’ll prepare us for the good and bad times that will inevitably occur. It’s interesting how he ends that track with the phrase “Sunrise and sunset” and on the first line of the first two verses (respectively) of the next track “Underdog Vibe”, he says “I stay up in-between the sunset, West” and “I close my eyes to the sunrise, East”. Over a similarly nocturnal but smoother and jazzier beat, we get what feels thematically like a continuation of “Lows and Highs”, with greater lyrical emphasis placed on the immense effort put into Nord1kone’s rhymes, fueled by his desire to prove his many doubters and detractors wrong. 

After the instrumental interlude “Display a New Sound”, we get a boom-bap banger in the form of “Knock Knock”, NOT to be confused with the track of the same name from “Respect the Skills” (one of my favorite tracks off that record, by the way). In a strange way, this track feels like an aggressive remix to the ‘original’ LMT Break-produced version. Its menacing bassline, in particular, always reminds me of Cypress Hill’s “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That” every time I listen to this song.  And while I dug the traditional, early-90s approach to the beat’s construction and energized performance by Nord1kone, I felt we could’ve gotten a second verse from either him or another rapper, instead of the extended intro, verse, hook and outro presented on this track. 

The second half of “Life Cycles” truly showcases the record’s excellent track sequencing, as the rowdy sound of “Knock Knock” dissipates to an irresistibly wavy, horn-assisted instrumental courtesy of “Max with the Illest”. Nord1kone goes into “Respect the Skills” mode on this track, delivering a MASTERCLASS on how to flow over a boom-bap beat of such a high caliber without losing a step! The head-nodding vibe switches to that of subtle psychedelia on the following track “Throw Em Further” (the guitars and bongos, in particular, sound like they were lifted from some late-60s folk rock song). Even Nord1kone takes note of the ‘mood-inducing’ nature of Mike Flips and Seize’s beat, expressed through his opening line “All power to the Swishas, greens and Jim Beams that saved a wretch like me”. While the track itself is not about getting stimulated, it gives us a glimpse into Nord1kone’s current mind state, preferably the things he regularly ruminates on like the support from his wife and the rest of the Outsiders Syndicate and, mentioned for the first time on this album, the death of his brother.  These emotional and mental facets continue to fuel him through his life and rap career. 

Speaking of career, Nord1kone examines his current path towards rap immortality on the penultimate track “Path of the Poet”, yet another fantastic song on this album. Its jazzy, hazy production flows in your brain from start to end and the vocal chop serving as the song’s hook is guaranteed to stay with you long after the song ends. If “Throw Em Further” gave us a glimpse into the man Nord1kone is, this track gives us a glimpse into the artist he is, from his humble beginnings as a kid who rapped for fun to a man who takes the craft of rap seriously. The third verse showcases a significant change in Nord1kone at this point on the record. Now older, wiser and a father, he has a clearer idea of who he is as a rapper and a man. His rhymes are more thoughtful, he’s using his art to provide for his family and even his battle-rap approach to rhyming has changed to that of motivating his rivals to step their pen game up to help move the culture forward, as suggested by the following line: “Like help a homie up even after I knock him down”. In addition, he drops what just might be the perfect summary of his character growth on this album: “But the majority will never know the Nord1kone / And that’s alright because I write through day and night to overcome”.

Saving their most emotional song for last, Nord1kone, Seize, Mike Flips and sole guest Outsiders Syndicate emcee The I.M.F. close the album off with “Flow State”. Over the appropriately disenchanted drums and horns of Mike and Seize’s production, Nord1kone and The I.M.F. trade bars over a conversation turned therapy session, with the former expressing how overpowered he feels by the stresses of life, especially the difficult task of moving forward from his brother’s death. The most sincere characteristic of this track is The I.M.F’s role as the confidant in this scenario, continually and REALISTICALLY assuring him that things won’t get better overnight, but they will get better over time. The first half of the second verse, performed by The I.M.F. himself, is just as sincere as he reminisces on his childhood and how, even as a kid, he was aware of the rift between his parents’ marriage. Yes, it’s a cathartic and oftentimes uncomfortable moment on the album, but it’s a necessary one, as this is where the album shows that even with the knowledge that we will experience lows in our lives, we do need some sort of support through them. 

The outro “All Over Again” brilliantly emphasizes how the world around us changes while we go through our individual life cycles. While the intro presented the album’s themes in a collage of fake radio and TV snippets (Points for the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”-esque one that appears before the narrator starts talking), this outro delivers its messages through online media content. The majority of this track involves what sounds like one of those animated YouTube videos with stock sound effects and an enthusiastic narrator re-iterating the ‘life cycle’ concept. And not only is this is the first non-song to touch on death (the fourth and final aspect of life), but it includes a fact that’s also crucial to understanding this album and yet will slip past some listeners’ ears: “Somewhere along the line, some of them have offspring…..or they just make copies of themselves before they pass on…..before they die”. That is a great reminder that even if you don’t become a parent, you can still leave behind something of value that’ll inspire the next generation, whether it be – in the case of the artists who made this record – a well-written and performed song or a well-produced beat. We then get this pitch-shifted vocal snippet where this person (most likely the narrator from the YouTube video) says “It’s the cycle of life. Things are born, they grow, reproduce and die. Then it starts all over again”. Obviously, it’s way more complex than that, but at its simplest, most basic form, it’s as perfect of a summary on what life is as any!  

For an album centered on such a fascinating and meaningful subject, I admire how concise and compact of a package “Life Cycles” is. The track sequencing is outstanding across the board, thanks to the tonal ebbs and flows of Mike Flips and Seize’s instrumentals from song to song. But what impressed me the most about this record is how relatable and easily digestible it is. It doesn’t beat you over the head with its existential themes and messages, you don’t come out of it feeling overly depressed or burdened by the fleeting nature of life and if you’re part of the audience this album is catered to, you should leave this record with your neck feeling a bit sore from the constant head-nodding you’ll most likely be doing throughout its entire run! In short, this is Nord1kone’s most thoughtful and heartfelt project to date and easily one of his best records. It’s also a brilliant showcase of the beatmaking talents of Mike Flips and Seize and yet another great collaborative project between Nord1kone and other like-minded, boom-bap loving producers and emcees! An absolute must-listen! 

OVERALL RATING: 8.5 out of 10

Streaming is available on all platforms and Vinyl can be ordered worldwide