The Issue 002

I teeter on the fence of recommending this EP, because it isn't anything I haven't heard before, perhaps because it comes from the guys who brought you Wordpeace DMT and bassvictim. At the same time, it's really good. While it sometimes too clearly resembles the music of its creators, at its best, it's an awesome lovechild of the best parts of both projects, creating something more atmospheric and cinematic. I'm having a lot of fun with it and you probably will too. —Lionel

Halloween: the clock strikes 12, full moon, the supple silhouette of bats slicing through the moonlight, and you feel a cool chill down your spine. Now put that feeling into a beat, and you have THE "sneaky beat"— a beat so deliciously insidious it has compelled the entire state of Michigan to rap over it. If you're ever forgetting what type of beat it is, YN Jay will remind you every 20 seconds. —Drew

WALL-E is mad as fuck that this didn't come out earlier, when he was still relevant. Well, the original "Robot Boy " by Robyn came out the same year as WALL-E, so I have no idea what happened there. There's a missed marketing strategy there or something. Maybe for WALL-E 2? —Drew

"When I'm down I realize that I'm Livin'." 

I guess this is somewhat the rap issue...

Anyhow, in every bar, Nino Paid puts it all on the table. When he reveals his struggles in "Mirror," it's not to show how tough he is, as many other DMV rappers may do, but by weaving this crestfallen beat with lyrics on addiction, family estrangement, and violence, Nino ends up painting an emotionally complex picture of what it means to take responsibility for your life and your friends. —Drew

I don't really have much of an appetite for repetitive songs, but this Björk remix has bypassed whatever neural connection that was. The anticipation of the dobie feature while trying to process the lyrics Björk is singing makes this song the best to zone in and out to. — Drew