I'm not joking when I say I meant to write this blog near on three months ago. Procrastination is a wonderful tool of the masses. But alas, here I am, three months wiser and ready to fuck. Well, you know what I mean.
Being a recent release, this EP sounds fresh as frozen chips. Released on the first of January (14), it might not be as recent as one could hope for, but then again some of the releases from the Prophets crew are older than your parents. Maybe.
Kicking straight into 33rd Degree, the EP starts off hard. As chill as a cucumber, the string intro and the falling chimes are gorgeous. It slides up and down your spine, and you can't help but pulse along. The accents of the duo are incredibly phonetic, making the lyrics stand out. Paro spits out the lyrics like he's trying to fuck your ear drums, but in contrast, Bil Next either just woke up, is falling asleep, is asleep, or needs a coffee. Some, none, or some of none of the above. Production is perfection, and with some doubling of the vocals, the track is a hard-hitter. Play it at the next club night you're hosting, I swear the crowd will love it. On a side note, the 33rd Degree, according to my non-reliable internet sources, is the highest level of masonry one can achieve. They must be well good at making joints.
Featuring a feature from Upfront's features, Mixin Toxins is a tight little banger. The 'Ow' at the beginning makes me giggle nonchalantly each and every time I give it a listen, as I am of that orientation. Again, layering of vocals is prominent giving a deep effect, and the chorus has a great deal of space. My favourite lyric has got to be 'I might have to spit a 16 just to keep my brain alive'. Haha, sums up the whole of the UK scene that I would give my time to. Smoke weed, spit bars. Upfront is sick (as always - should see a doctor), and you gotta love when he tells how they 'set up on microphones and abuse cunts'. Script. Bil Next produces quite a wikid flow, and the song is a stand-out on the EP. Snare is long, meaning the beat really drives the easiness of the flow, and the Rhodes piano style riff really shines through as an old-school kicker.
Although not my favourite, Time Wasters is a witty number. Featuring my main man Upfront and Blanka, it's reminiscent of Mario and the Smash Bros crew, with samples from these games all over the shop. With a strange-ass riff, funky guitar, unique noises and such, one can't help but think of Tom & Jerry jazz hands. You don't think of this? The lyrics are existential in origin, with numerous references to games such at GTA, Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, etc. I got beef here though. Why no mention of John Deere Simulator? That shit was game changing. Anywho, I'll let it slide. Once. Upfront sounds like the angriest cunt playing games, spitting out lyrics through clenched teeth. It's only a game, bru. His voice cuts clear through the mix, but is it just me or can you not hear Blanka as well? Maybe it's just his voice, but it doesn't sound as clear, maybe not EQ'd correctly.
Nothing, nothing, nothing can be said to express how epic 12oz Steak is. Back a few months ago, I did my first feature on the Prophets, and just picked it at random as I hadn't heard it. Since then it has become daily ritual to listen about 4 or 5 times. Not because of any freaky-ass religious reasons. It's one of the sickest beats I've heard in a long time. Always appropriate and always necessary, it suits any time of the day. That infectious squealing guitar, the flow of Paro's lyrics, the lyrics themselves. Fucking epic. Personal opinion; it's the high point of the album. Not the end, but the peak. Everything before leads up to it, and everything after basks in its shadow. You gotta love those lyrics; robbing Sainsbury's, whole ounces in space cakes to stay lean, swooping on your chicken like a peregrine. I'll post a link below. Laid back in the shack, play this track. Nothing comes on par. Script.
Suiting up again for Swamperz, everybody needs some break-core. Or loungekore. I'd prefer loungekore, but each to their own. The strange riff, overloaded with cymbals and trash hits, coupled with some brass instruments in the background really keep the flow going. Paro has sick pronunciation and phonetics, and the song sounds almost Disney in its music. Not a bad thing. Specially not with 'the aroma of sweaty butt crack...' Haha. Why is there Rye Vita on the floor?
Villains, with another guest appearance from Hozay, has the hardest drums on the record. Up in the reds, they really fuck with your ears. The rhyming of each is great, and notable with Bil Next is the fact that it always sounds like there's two people rapping. Makes it sound messy, but still clean. Bil Next is breeding with itself, creating more. There's Bil, Bil Next, Bil Next to Bil Next. The list goes on. Stephen King's new tale. Spooky.
Gearing up to the finale, Suckaz Kno is a hard beat. With a dark twisted synth line, the dirty stab makes a change from the rest of the album. Originality is always appreciated. The scratching on the chorus fits tight. Paro kicks in with a massive spit, making a mean first impression. I'm not entirely sure as to what Bil Next is on about - he should probably have woken up at this point - but sick is what it sounds. A short verse, the album nears its closing point.
Of course, what could the Weedmasons EP be without the Weedmasons Anthem. It would be zero, kaputt, zilch, nein. The ultimate finish to the album, the video sums up everything about the Prophets perfectly. Including a whole host of 'em, it reminds me of Dike's Future Posse, in that it leads one to discover a lot more artists. The intro is a classic beginning, and is a real fuck you, just the way it should be. Paro's perfection in starting is followed by Bil Next, who really is asleep. Jman has a sweet chorus that fits beautifully into the track and the reggae style only adds to the effect. As mentioned before, some rappers don't really cut through the mix great, but that might just be inevitable with the tone of their voices. Res cuts perfectly through, as do Datkid and Upfront, although Upfront sounds like he's been stopped short in a way, or didn't say enough. How and ever, each are perfection on a stick. Everyone's flow is unreal, and everyone is a stoner cunt. Should probably get jobs and have a shower. A little bit of scratching here, a bit of doobies there, fade out then fin. Epic ending.
As stated above, 12oz Steak is the high point. Each song has it's strong aspects, maybe weak ones, and no other ending would suit; Weedmasons Anthem is the essence of the EP. It couldn't be placed anywhere else either; it would skew the whole dynamics. The production is perfect, and the lyricism is something else. I shall attempt to set up interviews after this blog, wink wink, but who knows? We shall find out. Script, and peace.
Averagity rating: Above average. Oh yes, oh yes.
Links:
Bandcamp: http://splitprophets.bandcamp.com/album/weedmasons-ep
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