Review Summary: The undisputed king of hip-hop villains finally released something what devoured me in a good way
Key to the Kuffs is collaborative project between famous New York dash London native underground hip hop legend Daniel Dumile for most of you DOOM and for me slightly unknown producer Jneiro Jarel.
Where do I start I am never been a huge DOOM fan or some kind of „hip hop nazi“ who constantly spam on every hip hop website „DOOM is the best“ , of course I always respect him for his MC abilities and beats selection on most of his songs but his personality, obsessions with comics references and superhero abilities these things they were not really attractive to me.
This year I have scary boring part-time job which led to one positive thing, I could listen to music 8 hours in row and fully concentrate on that because my work is so stereotyped so I grabbed LP's like MM FOOD, Vaudeville Villain, Operation Doomsday and Madvillainy. Music is great but not enough I have some serious issues with each one. MM Food is filled with so many skits or some weird songs (without DOOM rapping) because of that it sounds like super example of incoherent material, Madvillainy has a few really great songs but it is so inconsistent as well I had a problem with beats, (again) skits, most songs are really short or whatever but to be honest there are some nice songs like All Caps and Meat Grinder but as a whole LP it sounds more like mixtape than a fully loaded LP.
Few days ago I found a stream to JJ DOOM LP and I gave it a shot and now I am happy like a child at christmas because this LP is something special It sounds like DOOM heard my thoughts. He dropped one of the best verses which I've ever heard, over experimental beats with no fillers. According to these facts Key to the Kufss sounds unbelievable cohesive and easily become the most favourite LP which DOOM ever dropped.
Album opener is song called Gov'nor song kicks hard DOOM flow is magnificent he spits fire like he said in first 4 lines „Catch a throatful, From the fire vocal, Ashing and molted glass like, Eyjafjallajökull“ during the song DOOM pushing on mic and raps about some economic things in really nice one liners like „As the dollar continues to lose momentum, He need land from murdered indians that represent them, Gold is up, urging all thugs, Trendy I’ll change for cash and splurge it on drugs“ I think that song is essential alternative hip hop song and the best possible opener for this LP.
The whole LP flows really naturally the third song called Banished is example how creative this LP is, Beat occupy the same space like Sole or some El-P beats, influence of electronic music is evident, but it's only one half of the story about this song, the second one is DOOM delivery it's different DOOM spits faster than usuall and whole song receives brand new left field unusual badge, atypical for previous DOOM LP's. I don't want review this LP by song by song style but I must mention the next song called Bite the Thong which is contender for best hardcore hip hop song which I've ever heard like DOOM said in first line „Dude's doin' faster show“ and the whole second verse is perfect example how DOOM can easily swallow any shiny rapper without even said that. Hands down this song is classic. And I almost forgot beat on this is from another galaxy, NASA found it and called it „V1-LL41N-S star system“ it's one hundred percent based on true story.
There are so many bright moments on that LP, many great songs like Borin' Convo, GMO, Retarded Fren, Winter Blues, Bite the Thong, Gov'Nor lyrically this LP is superb and again don't forgot the beats which roam like well maintained horse next to DOOM's lyricall capabilities. I don't even have any problem with two pure instrumental songs, the second one Viberian Sun Part II is actually really great.
DOOM and Jarel crafted one of the best hip hop LP in 2012, I was sad after EL-P and Aesop Rock released their albums because I thought „the best musical things in 2012 already passed“ but I was wrong not only P.O.S. Upcoming LP but also Key to the Kuffs shake with my tiny hip hop world in my head and ears and I am glad for it.
Standout songs:
Gov'nor
Bite the Thong
GMO
Retarded Fren
Winter Blues
Banished
Score:
4.5/5
