January of 2014 we finally get the Step Brothers album? Who would have thought? Well after years of talks and anticipations Alchemist and Evidence finally have teamed up for their full length collaboration debut, and I must admit, it was well worth the wait.
I myself personally generally tend to gravitate towards a more hardcore sound of hip-hop, and although Evidence and Alchemist both have proven consistent quality time and time again, these are never the albums that leave a long lasting impact on me, nor get featured in my "End of the year lists".
Truthfully though, Lord Steppington impressed me, I had a blast listening to this project from start to finish, From the skits, the beat choices by Alchemist, and the random off the wall lyricism, it really just makes for an enjoyable experience from start to finish.
To start with, the production is entirely handled by Alchemist with the exception of one track "Byron G" which is produced by Evidence himself, and features Domo Genisis and The Whooliganz. The rest is just Alchemist getting busy, and he does indeed get dirty and grimy with this release... I think this is one of the most hood, street and gutter performances Alchemist has delivered in recent years. You get a consistent and cohesive vibe, bringing that street feeling to the record, however taking the album beat by beat, theirs enough diversity within the production to really capture and hold your attention throughout.
The track "See the Rich Man Play" which features Roc Marciano has this incredibly slow paced, and daunting instrumental that is by far the most chilling and grimy the record has to offer, it's such a unique instrumental that you can't help but allow to press repeat until your fingers are numb. It's tracks like this that really make this album hit hard for me. Another one is a smoke anthem which is normally a very over-done concept that doesn't really hold my attention well, however with "Buzzing Away" everything from the extremely left field, funky instrumental, to Evidence's retarded random ass rhymes just makes for an awesome and extremely fun listen. Evidence spits;
Got a hashtag, hit the pound.
Hit the pound high, and save a dog.
Bring him home, let him roam in the yard.
I got a cat too.
I got a permanent tattoo.
Like really Ev? It's rhymes like these you can tell that both Evidence and Alchemist we're just having fun with this record, there's no in depth seriousness, there's no concept tracks to take with more than a grain of salt... It's just them rapping to rap, and rapping as friends, and having fun while doing so.
Another example of this is on the first single for the album "Step Masters" Alchemist has one of the most aggressive, and lyrical verses off the entire album, however mid-verse he pauses to say:
Flipping..............
Like things that flip.
Than continues his lyrical onslaught for the rest of the verse... But you can tell both of these dudes are comfortable, their in their element, as good friends and they don't care... Their making an album they had fun doing, and it translates into an unbelievably fun listen for the listener.
Seriously, here's a couple more from Alchemist, you can't help but smile;
Shooters in disguise, you probably mistake all of em.
Put cookies on a sheet in the oven and bake all of em.
To retrieve exotic pets, karate chop the nipple of yo chest
Ring the alarm, this is not a test.
Kashmir sweaters made for golfing.
Looting a coffin, high enough to communicate with a dolphin
Moron Olympics, toss midgets like a discus
The beats bang, they give you that head nodding appeal, and it's paired with dope ass lyrics that make you laugh for days. Evidence's flow is mesmerizing, extremely smooth and monotoned but effortless, and the best of the best for this type of delivery. Alchemist appears hungry and aggressive, yet just as random and comedic as his partner.
The project is fantastic, as said above it is well worth the wait, and any fan of these two will get a lot of enjoyment with this release. It made me a fan of Alchemist on the mic, and it was the most enjoyment I've ever had listening to Evidence as well. Paired with some of the best Alchemist production we've gotten in recent years.
For someone like myself, that generally does not find much of an impact with these types of releases, this one definitely surprised me in a good way. It was highly enjoyable and I will be remembering this one for quite some time. I'm still not sure if it's Top 25 material, but what I do know is it's growing on me, and this is the type of release that will only continue to grow on me with more listens.
Favourite tracks: See the Rich Man Play, Buzzing Away, No Hesitation
Click here to buy the album on iTunes.
Click here to watch my video review for the album.
Alex, The Underground Vault
✪✪✪✪ out of 5
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