comfortably one of my most listened to albums ever. the fusion of trip hop and jungle alongside the dark and relentlessly sensual aesthetics form this albums dark red nocturnal trip. Martina’s performances (particularly on the first three tracks) are so full of quirks that bring the songs to life. Tricky seldom appears in the records beginning, but slowly fazes himself in. this makes for an awesome breakdown in ‘Black Steel’ when he shows himself directly for the first time. ... read more
fucking epic record with insane performances and super impressive songwriting. Greg Puciato genuinely turns in a legendary frontman showcase for 40 minutes over the manic yet equally satisfying tracklist. and also the title track might honestly be one of the greatest songs ever written.
profound without ever straying from its own humble and powerful messages. despite its complexity, Black Up does not impose itself on you. it demands no attention but rather earns it with poetry, charisma and avant-garde instrumentals that are somehow both sun drenched and pitch black. A beautiful piece in totality, Black Up is the singular eye that sits atop…
gold plated rhymes and velvet flows. every instrumental is a glistening marble sculpture. there’s a litany of great features, freddie gibbs and roc marciano on the same track is eye swelling, but Westside Gunn owns every second of time on Pray for Paris. a tight, glamorous listen dripping in couture.