So I figured I'd pick an underappreciated hip-hop album for my ALC. Starlito & Don Trip aren't showy rappers. They don't rap over experimental or progressive beats. They aren't hip-hop auteurs (eurgh), like Roc Marciano or Kendrick Lamar or Jonwayne or Danny Brown or Ka, just to mention a few who have released brilliant albums very recently, whose carefully crafted records feel like capital-a Art. They don't capture the zeitgeist in any way, shape or form. Even their album artwork is ugly as fuck, and not in a way that feels deliberate.
They are, however, two rappers in the classic street mould. Very obviously dedicated to their craft, they write tight rhymes about hard lives, with a real emotional depth and surprisingly subtle touch that allows every single brag or punchline or story to have maximum impact. They're extremely versatile, and there's something refreshingly natural about their music. They have absolutely amazing chemistry that allows them to trade rhymes almost as well as any rap duo ever, never missing a beat and always complementing each other perfectly. This is their best album yet.
I don't expect this will appeal to people here in the same way as some of those other rappers I mentioned in the first paragraph, but if you just want some honest-to-goodness rap music, you can't go wrong with this. Thoughts, positive or otherwise, would be extremely appreciated. Enjoy.
Album is available on Spotify, and possibly other places too.
Sits somewhere on an “I kind of liked it” scale for me after listening to it three times since you posted this ALC. Musically, I felt unimpressed by the production side of things, including the beats and mixing, and on the rapping side of things I felt they were par at best and tolerable at worst. Ultimately, I just don’t find Step Brothers Three very interesting and it would sit as the least favorable hip hop record I’ve heard all year.
Be interested to know what about the rapping you found average. I mean, it's not revolutionary but they're both skilled technicians whose rhyme schemes are reminiscent of somebody like Cam'ron or Jadakiss, and they rap with passion and humour. They also trade lines effortlessly, often matching cadences or the rhyming of final syllables, the same way Tip and Phife used to do to such great effect. Other than that, the criticism of beats seems fair (they're functional rather than distinctive), even if I respectfully disagree.
Would also just like to particularly praise 'Good Cop Bad Cop', which is just great, straightforward storytelling rap in the classic Slick Rick tradition.
I wish this album kept up the fun from the first half of the album throughout. It's not gonna break any boundaries, but for an underground album it's passable. I agree that they work really well together, but I think Starlito is a stronger rapper than Don Trip which can be noticeable on a couple tracks. It's also nice to see a straight up duo that doesn't rely on strong features to bolster a record.
Good Tracks: Good Cop Bad Cop, Boomshakalaka, BNB, The 13th Amendment Song
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