II: The Next Wave

first surfaced in 2012 with an epic 41-track outing featuring a cast of dozens (including , , and ) rhyming over gritty, nearly psychedelic beats by (aka 's ) and cohorts and (then known as ). After eight years of silence, erupted again, first with a 50-track instrumental beat tape, then with proper second album . Bold, heavy, retro, and futuristic, the record is laced with samples and vinyl crackle as well as spacy sci-fi synths and vintage drum machine beats. Lyrics are provided by an extended roster of top-notch rappers from around the world, and the subject matter skews closer to the political than on the first LP. Over the militant snares of "Double Jointed," bluntly reflects on America's history of violence against black people and how not much has changed. On "Gun Control," which features a radical beat switch halfway through, Detroit duo express the frustration of living in a country plagued by constant gun violence. Several other Motor City emcees pop up throughout the release, including , and returning guests . The audacious production ranges from the fuzzed-out acid rock of "Bare Essentials" (with ) to the trippy, spooky electro of the -starring "All of It," with a nod to old-school rap broadcasts at the beginning of the bugged-out abstraction "Radiola" (featuring ). shines on the sweetly catchy "Approach with Caution," and the mush-mouthed 's "Morphine" is a brief, brassy triumph. The album's numerous interstitials are far from instrumental filler -- some of them are among the release's wildest moments, like the intercepted radio waves and explosions of "Sell Your Soul" or the manic drum fills of "One O'Clock." [The CD edition of includes ' 2020 instrumental beat tape as a bonus disc.] ~ Paul Simpson