This album was released on February 9th this year. Rhymefest is of course most famous for being a writer for Kanye West for many years. Most Hip Hop fans know he wrote the verses for one of Kanye’s most iconic singles, Jesus Walks. He’s an important guy, especially in Chicago. However, for some reason I never really see anybody talk about his solo work. Before checking out this latest album, I went back and listened to his debut LP, Blue Collar. There were a couple tracks I loved and a couple tracks I hated, but overall I thought it was kinda mediocre. I still am glad I checked it out though because it’s worth it for tracks 11 and 12 alone in my opinion. Those songs are amazing. Anyway, I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel about this latest release, but I was definitely intrigued by the presentation and overall concept. It’s based on the famous conversation that James Baldwin had with Nikki Giovanni in 1971 on a program called SOUL! I had been aware of this conversation for years, but I had never actually watched it until now in preparation for this review. It’s amazing. Check it out if you haven’t seen it. It just solidified my stance that the concept for this record is a really good idea. The album itself ended up completely surpassing my expectations.

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Track 1 is called Intro, and it sets things up really nicely. It really feels like a musical version of the SOUL! program on which it’s based. It had me pretty excited to hear the rest of the album. I think it works perfectly as an intro. The first actual song is called Triggered. The way Rhymefest incorporated the audio of Nikki & James speaking is really cool. The quality of the audio is strangely crisp. The opening verse is performed by a woman named Helixx C. Armageddon. I’d never heard of this artist prior to listening to the record, but I absolutely loved her performance here.

There's trauma and then there's peace
And there's a little bridge you build between the body and relief
It's how I sleep under the cannons
Running plays with the dragons, crush the waves with the kraken
Believe me, it's not all fiction
Poetry in motion to galvanize the description
Of safe harbors, when even "safe" has its limits
Hard to play possum when you're both the sufferer and witness

I did a little research—key word: little—on Helixx C. Armageddon after hearing this verse because I was so impressed. Apparently she’s been rapping since the 90s, but didn’t release her debut album until 2022. I’m definitely gonna check that record out. It looks really interesting. I look forward to hearing more material from her in the future. Anyway, after her verse, there’s a clip of what might be my favorite quote of the whole conversation from James…

You go through your life for a long time, you think that… ‘No one has ever suffered the way I have suffered.’ You know? ‘My God, my God…’ And then you realize that your suffering doesn’t isolate you. Your suffering is your bridge. That many people have suffered before you. Many people are suffering around you. And always will.

The way Rhymefest comes in after this part is awesome. I actually don’t know who I’m more impressed by between him and Helixx. They both sound amazing here. This may be a blasphemous, outrageous opinion to have, but I personally think that they somehow were able to match the eloquence exhibited in James & Nikki’s conversation with their writing on this song.

I leaned on you under pressure
Broke your heart in pieces and glued it all back together
This the Japanese art of Kintsugi
Every time we hammered, scars revealed the beauty
Imagine if passions built like a male masochist
Enchanted by your beauty, but thrives under the nastiness
I can never sit calm when the stress comes
We go to war throwing F bombs
But after the bombs fire, I post bond and bond tighter
We make love next to bonfires
See, this my trauma bonding disease
Danger's in the room, and it ain't you; it's me

It’s not only his writing that makes me love the song, but his flow and vocal delivery as well. I’m not sure who produced this song, but I like the beat a lot too. It’s kind of tense, yet low key at the same time. I’m really glad Helixx & Rhymefest both spit two verses on this song instead of just one each. I also am really glad that they opened the record up on the subject of suffering and trauma. I think this shit is dope as hell. Track 2 is called Elderberry, and it functions as an ode to Rhymefest and the featured artists’ grandmothers. The production is a lot more uptempo than that of the preceding song. The first verse from Rhymefest is amazing.

NiNi, can you hear me?
Even though you left I can feel you near me
Everybody wanna act so sincerely
I can hear the flap of the vultures near me
I can see the crack in the culture clearly
Ridin' on the back of the ultra theory
Cryin' in the lap of the ghost that hear me
I can draw a map to the closest memory

The sung hook is performed by an artist named Frayne Vibez, and it’s honestly one of my favorite hooks of the year. The melody and vocal performance are outstanding. The second verse is performed by someone named Teefa, and her verse is excellent.

Gave me life, so I see clear
Without you we wouldn't be here
The time we had was the best of years
Man, I wish God would've kept you here
You gave me strength, so I left my fears
The wind blows, I know it's your breath I hear

The song ends with another clip from the conversation in which James talks about how our ancestors taught us how to survive. This song grew on me the more I listened to it. I liked it when I first heard it, but now I love it. I think it’s dope as hell. Track 4 is called Creator, and it features Brittney Carter & Rell Suma.

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This might be the best song on the album. The production is superb, and the first verse from Rhymefest is incredible. Not only is it beautifully written, but the passionate vocal delivery really makes me feel every word he says. You can hear a lot of emotion in his vocals, which I really appreciate. The lyrics remind me of a video essay that I recently watched from lil’ bill called What Makes a “Good” Man? It’s basically a study of black men’s ability and methods of loving, both of oneself and of others. The part where he mentioned black fathers who are physically present but emotionally absent caused me to break down in tears, but that’s neither here nor there.

We can paint the passion or create distractions
Go to bed hungry, wake up, and make it happen
I can't erase what happened, my unfaithful actions
With fake attractions, ok, mistakes will happen
Ok, I take the blame, I'm lookin' dumb, create the caption
She like, "boy, what's your problem?" Baby, thanks for askin'
I had a 20 city tour, that's a lot of practice
I had a chick that gave me everything in Calabasas
It's hard to stay at home and have a love that's everlasting
My mom and daddy had a love that was never lasting
I'm tryna learn to love, and I would pay for classes
I'm tryna straighten up the wheel before I SKRRT and crash it

The vocals on the hook from Rell Suma are really nice, and the second verse from Brittney Carter is excellent. She’s an artist whose name I’ve seen floating around the internet for at least a couple years, but this is only my second time actually hearing a performance from her. She had a really nice feature on IAMGAWD‘s The Eternal Reflection album. Check that project out if you haven’t heard it yet. Anyway, the more I listen to her verse here, the more I appreciate it. Again, it takes me back to the aforementioned video essay, as well as the conversation on which this album is based.

I take accountability for tryna change you
Assumed the role of God, that ain't my job, so what's my angle?
Guess I know just what I wanted, when I wanted what I see
Is your potential, but we wasn't ready, baby, that's on me
I made mistakes too, played up in your face too
I had to learn to love myself and let go of the past 'cause now that ain't you no more
Are we done taking score and placing blame?
If I cannot extend no grace then I am not who all I claim to be
Oh baby, if you ain't with me, I need you around
I forgave you for them days that you was doin' me foul
And I forgave you for those days that you couldn't provide
Looking back now I can see how that was eating your pride

This song is beautiful, and genuinely deep. The music video just made me appreciate it even more. That might be my favorite music video of the year so far. This shit is incredible. Track 5 is called Who You Talking To?, and it features Freddie Old Soul. It has one of my favorite instrumentals on the record. The friendly-sounding, piano-driven beat evokes my childhood, or childhood in general. I really like the idea behind this song. Rhymefest is kinda having a conversation with himself. It’s like a convo between the present-day version of himself and the future version of himself, and the way he executed it is really cool.

I sat around procrastinatin', smokin' weed witcha
Me, myself, and I fake smiling in a team picture
I could've made a couple mill' a long time ago
I could've did the same deal a long time ago
Begging on my deathbed, "Lord, it ain't my time to go"
Jesus laughing at your ass, "Boy, what you cryin' for?"

The second verse from Freddie Old Soul is stellar too. I’ve only heard her a couple times in the past alongside artists like Defcee & Aakeem Eshú. This is probably my favorite verse I’ve ever heard from her. The song’s dope as hell overall. It’s followed by another major highlight entitled Déjà Vu. This one has another feature from Helixx C. Armageddon, although she doesn’t spit a verse here. She just handles the hook, but it’s fire. This is the shortest song on the album; there’s only one verse from Rhymefest here. It’s amazing though. I have an affinity for lyricism that revolves around mental health due to my myriad of psychological struggles, so this verse was perfect to me.

No identity for these boys' emotional injuries
Maybe they are not the men they pretend to be
They tell me men don't cry, so now I just won't cry
My blood pressure through the roof, and, damn, I don't know why

The storytelling in the second half of the verse in which he paints the picture of a little boy being traumatized by his parents’ domestic violence really hit home for me.

He turned around and slapped her
She swung and knocked him backwards
Then grabbed her bags and packed 'em
They shorty watching this shit, now look how that impacts him
He's taught to not express his feelings, you can't even ask him
He can't express his feelings, man, don't even ask him

I also really like the tense production on this track. It’s definitely one of my favorite songs on the album, and one of my favorite songs of the year. It’s followed by Pop, which features someone named EP da Hellcat.

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This one really grew on me a lot with multiple listens. The one aspect of the song that I’m not crazy about is the hook, but that’s a minor nitpick. I love the production, and both of the verses are excellent. Rhymefest killed this shit; his flow was really great, and I loved the alliteration of the letter P throughout his performance. EP da Hellcat might’ve actually had the better verse though to be honest. Her flow and rhymes were impeccable.

It's a Hip Hop stick up, proper when I pop in
Can't nobody stop her, the lotus is still a problem
Probably ain't possible, the proof is in the audible
It's plausible, this particular puzzle's unsolvable
Everybody's sweet now, suckers for lollipops
Puppets for popularity, who's the bu-Godiest
Gods and goddesses, power that got us this
Monuments of metropolis, we the oppulent occupants
Dealin' in dominance, fulfilling the promises
They create policy, we deal with the consequence
Shorties is visible, but feeling anonymous
We build on principles while they playin' politics

Again, this song grew on me heavily. I think it’s phenomenal. The penultimate track is entitled Blackman, and it was my favorite track on my first listen of the album. It might still be my favorite track. I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. This shit is incredible though. The production is magnificent, and same goes for Rhymefest’s lyricism. He actually addresses Kanye’s deplorable views and behavior here.

When you kill the vibe, that's emotional homicide
When you kill the spirit in your people, they be traumatized
When the lights glow, and you see the colors harmonize
Think about the story of the son that is prophesied
The bible's a good book, I give it a ten
The hero died and came back in the end
When Bethlehem was trappin' him in
That reminded me of me and my friends
A lot of men be tryna pretend like we don't sin
That's when the devil get you again
I don't know if Ye is a clone or if they got him a twin
But that ain't the homie I knew from way, way back when
And I ain't the man that I was from way, way back then
So when they all in my DM talkin' 'bout "save your friend"
Imagine tryna tell Mandela not to go to the pen
Imagine tryna tell Malcolm bowties ain't in
Imagine tryna tell Jesus not to die for your sins
Imagine leaning on the truth when it always bends

It was really awesome to hear his perspective on that. I’m not sure if he’s spoken about it publicly before, but this was my first time hearing him talk about it. The second verse is performed by C-Red, and it’s incredible. The writing here is absolutely stunning to me.

As long as I'm able-bodied
I'm offering my best, though I know that got Abel bodied
Then we came from Seth, need the savior's behavior copied
Sometimes being blessed, we forget, and it makes us cocky
The weakness of our flesh
Y'all don't know the pressure to be needed on your best
To watch a family gasp in reflex to agonal breaths
Hear a heart stop beating, stethoscope still on they chest
Document a cause of death when you got nothing left
Tried indifference as a means to calm my stress
And I write down verses when I need to convalesce
I know a God that I can please, but not impress
Black man, black man, you the reason I exist

That shit is fucking amazing. I love it. The closing song, Surprise, is the only solo track on the album. This song is pretty much about the inevitability and unpredictability of death, and it’s really well written. This was a relatively weak track on the album to me on my first listen, but now I love it.

Yesterday I didn't know would be my last day
Writing rhymes with my cigar lit up in the ashtray
Feeling good, finna watch the Bulls and the Cavs play
'Til I felt a UGH in my chest, and passed away, damn
I missed the last sunset, I wasn't done yet
Lord, I ain't made up with my son yet
I ain't even took my daughter to prom yet
My wife is still living, I know she's upset
Ripped off the wings, I don't wanna go up yet
I saw that everything I ever ate was gluttonous
I saw that everything that I ever smoked was suspect
I saw that every lie I ever told was fuck shit
For all the hearts that I broke, a heart attack was justice

This was a really awesome way to close the album. I think one final word from James & Nikki would’ve wrapped things up a little nicer, but that’s me being super nitpicky. This shit is fire.

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^{This album is amazing. This is the best album I’ve heard all year. I’m actually really confused as to why I haven’t seen a single other person talking about it. This is Rhymefest’s first album in over a decade, so it’s a big deal. At least, it should be, especially for hardcore fans of the genre. I had a lot of respect for Rhymefest prior to hearing this for obvious reasons, and this LP just vindicated my opinion of him. There’s not a single track on this album that I don’t love. If you know my taste well, you know that I love when albums are super unapologetically black, so this was right up my alley. The reoccurring themes of mental health and love just make it even more appealing to me. I also love how there’s a woman featured on almost every track. Before listening to the album, I was confused about why there are so many features, but after listening I totally get why he made that decision. It’s based on a conversation between a man and a woman, so it makes sense that he would want women’s voices to be heard alongside his own on this record. This is a damn near perfect album to me. Stop sleeping on this one. It’s dope as fuck.}

Favorite Song: Blackman
Least Favorite Song: Who You Talking To?

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Watch the interview below for more background information about this album.