Rap Gumbo: Soulful Beats & Gritty Streets

When it comes to Statik Selektah, I believe his style of production can either elevate or expose most emcees. With his recent collaboration with Musalini and Wais P, I believe the former is more fitting, as the veteran producer lends his soulful beat style to the gritty rhymes of Wais P and the smooth, pimp stylings of Musalini, creating a solid albeit somewhat short project.

From the opening track to the final song, you can hear the cohesiveness of the project. While there isn’t a distinct conceptualization behind it, the chemistry between the featured rappers carries the project. Wais P provides gritty lyrical prowess, while Musalini usually follows with more simplistic yet smooth bars, which fit well with the soulful production style (like a good pot of gumbo). This actually leads me to my first gripe: the album is a bit TOO cohesive—if such a thing exists. There is not much differentiation between the tracks; it almost feels like it could be one long song with beat switches in between. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case with albums created by a single producer. However, being only eight tracks and just over 20 minutes long, the briefness of the project actually mitigates some of the repetitiveness.

Overall, while there is nothing groundbreaking about this project, it provides a solid entry in the discographies of both the rap duo and the producer. I can see this being more appealing to hardcore fans of the trio, while casual listeners may find the project less noteworthy. However, authentic hip-hop fans should appreciate this solid offering and look forward to more collaborations.

Standout Tracks: “Can A Player Live” “Live in the Flesh”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (7/10)