Review Summary: Dark, trippy and unabashedly bizarre, "3001: A Laced Odyssey" is a batshit insane musical journey worth embarking on.
New York-bred hip-hop trio Flatbush Zombies are proud outsiders. At a time where most of the current hip-hop landscape consists of trap and radio-friendly pop acts, their eccentric, drug-fueled brand of hip-hop defies any traditional categorization. After two successful mixtapes (2012's D.R.U.G.S. and 2013's BetterOffDead) and a collab EP with fellow Flatbush rap group The Underachievers (2014's Clockwork Indigo), Flatbush Zombies have finally taken their long-awaited plunge into the world of studio albums with 3001: A Laced Odyssey, which is easily their most demented and surreal effort to-date.
3001: A Laced Odyssey is quite possibly one of the most apt album titles of all-time. This album is basically an insane, deranged journey through the minds of three zany, creative dudes whose lives/careers have been both aided and hampered by hallucinogenic drugs. Armed with a series of off-kilter, minimalist beats and an even more abstract take on their traditionally odd rapping style, Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick "The Architect" Elliot have created a chaotic hour of music that practically begs to be heard under the influence of mushrooms or LSD.
Flatbush Zombies decision to take their music in a more psychedelic direction is an absolutely brilliant one as it gives 3001 the clear sense of focus that their mixtapes often lacked. With a cohesive vision in place, all three members of the group are able to elevate their rapping to the next level. The opening trio of tracks ("The Odyssey", "Bounce", "R.I.P.C.D.") do an excellent job of establishing the tone right out of the gate with the trio dropping abrasive, high-energy verses that highlight each of their unique eccentricities and perfectly complement the hazy production. There are still some choppy verses here and there (most notably Juice on the aforementioned "R.I.P.C.D." and Elliot on "New Phone, Who Dis?") but for the most part, they sound much more confident and polished now that they've taken their druggie personas to the next level.
The downside to their new direction is that Elliott's production, which has been an integral part of the group's appeal since their inception, isn't nearly as dynamic and impressive as it was on their first two releases. Aside from the beautiful mid-song beat switch in "Trade-Off" and the grimy flash of 12-minute closing epic "Your Favorite Rap Song", most of the beats on 3001 are damn near impossible to distinguish from one another. This record desperately needed an an all-out banger like BetterOffDead's "Drug Parade" or a sleazy R&B track like "TP4" to break up the repetitive nature of the record's trippy, lo-fi production. The production is far from bad and it definitely plays an essential part of establishing the record's psychedelic mood, it just largely lacks the experimentation and grit that made Elliott's past work noteworthy.
This record also further exposes the wide gap in talent between Darko and his bandmates. While Elliot and Juice have steadily improved their rapping since D.R.U.G.S. was released they are still light years behind Darko in terms of technical ability and charisma. Darko is an unhinged hip-hop monster whose fiery presence injects a healthy dose of sinister energy into every track he appears on. While Elliot and Juice are certainly respectable rappers, they lack the lethal flows and devilish wit that make Darko a star. This talent divide has been present since day one, but 3001 marks the first time its emerged as a problem due to the baffling decision to give Darko less amount of time on the mic than his bandmates. On about half of the record, Darko takes a back seat to Elliot and Juice. Unsurprisingly, these tracks ("A Spike Lee Joint", "This is It", "New Phone, Who Dis?","Good Grief") lack the excitement and danger of the songs where Darko is more prominently featured. The group dynamic goes a long way in making Flatbush Zombies one of the most exciting up-and-coming acts in hip-hop, but they won't reach their full potential until they give their most interesting member more time to shine.
3001 may have its fair share of flaws, but it's still a bat*** insane musical journey that is absolutely worth embarking on. Even when they release a song that's too goofy or half-baked to work, their bizarre, bold style ensures that the proceedings never get dull. Flatbush Zombies' career is trending upward and I'm really excited to see what the future holds for them.
