With a title that would make KRS-ONE proud, Kentucky emcee Devine Carama and Brooklyn-born producer Amadeus360 have returned with a sequel to their 2025 collaborative album \u201cGuardians of the Boom Bap\u201d. Upon a few listens to the sequel in full, it\u2019s clear that \u201cGuardians of the Boom Bap 2\u201d is something of a concept album in the same vein as 38 Spesh\u2019s 2019 album \u201c1994\u201d: Crafting beats by sampling classic hip-hop tracks of the Golden era and a little beyond. But unlike Spesh, DC and Amadeus didn\u2019t create a compilation of tracks with each one having a guest appearance. Of the fifteen tracks, only four feature guest rappers. Musically, Amadeus is a student of the game, adding his own spin on timeless classics without replicating them. Lyrically, though Devine Carama is from Lexington, KY, he\u2019s got the delivery, flow, and cadence of an NYC rapper. That\u2019s not to say that this takes away from DC\u2019s abilities as emcee, but rather that it allows him to work seamlessly with Amadeus.<\/p>\n
Opening with \u201cOld School, New School\u201d which features RUN-DMC vocals as well as a looped sample and drum programming reminiscent of DJ Premier. DC attacks the beat with both a passion and a cadence like Big L\u2019s. On \u201cCDs & Tapes\u201d, DC gives a graphic description of the thrill of physical media. Though digital music has mostly had the market cornered for the past two decades, there\u2019s still a sub-culture of people who seek and purchase CDs, for both the collection aspect and for the experiences DC vividly conveys. It\u2019s less than two minutes and could\u2019ve benefitted from a second verse with commentary on the current state of physical music. The Mobb Deep-esque \u201cStep Ya Bars Up\u201d is pure braggadocio laced with wordplay and battle rhymes. Buffalo\u2019s very own Ch\u00e9 Noir grabs the mic for the second verse, giving bars \u201cfood for thought like a commissary.\u201d The spirit of Big L\u2019s \u201cThe Enemy\u201d is spread all over \u201cI\u2019m Legit Now\u201d, a murky production with DC channeling Lamont Coleman in his verses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chosen One\u201d has a lush production and social commentary in the lyrics with \u201cSometimes I wonder if this world is real \/ You get canceled if you speak against Israel.\u201d A Tribe Called Quest gets love on this album twice beginning with \u201cMarauders at Midnight\u201d, in which DC gives nods to different facets of hip-hop music and the culture. The Black Moon flip on \u201cI Got the Props\u201d is one of the best productions on the album, meshing well with DC\u2019s hardcore boasts in his rhymes. Dell-P & Neek the Exotic make appearances on \u201cFakin\u2019 the Funk\u201d, adding slick punchlines alongside DC as all three expose faux emcees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatch Me\u201d contains a looped piano sample and vocal samples comprising the hook. DC poignantly states that \u201cHip-hop\u2019s alive, but its wellness is lacking \/ Boom-bap\u2019s the perfect life-changing health tactic.\u201d \u201cHard As Hell\u201d begins with a playful loop before the drums drop. After which, DC demonstrates tricks up his sleeve in his repertoire as an emcee, having a faculty for alliterative internal rhymes coming from all sides. Rasheed Chappell provides a verse on \u201cYou Got Me Mesmorized\u201d, adding his nasal flow over the \u201cElectric Relaxation\u201d-inspired beat. \u201cMasters of the Universe\u201d is an enthralling track. With boom-bap snares, a moody atmosphere, and pop culture references, Amadeus incorporated samples from the 1980s animated series \u201cMaster of the Universe\u201d with He-Man\u2019s catchphrase \u201cI HAVE THE POWER!!!\u201d sprinkled in throughout the track:<\/p>\n
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Before the beat dropped in \u201cFeelmatic\u201d, the opening piano sample sounds almost the same as the one from Nas\u2019 \u201cThe World Is Yours\u201d. Nevertheless, DC aims to target weak artists of his era to get them gone. On \u201cComplex Simplicity\u201d, DC breaks things down with dictionaries and phrase books in bait-&-switch fashion. Making use of compound rhymes, DC ultimately describes himself simple, yet complex to the point where he ceases his second verse in the middle of it, saying its \u201ctoo complex\u201d. Planet Asia lends a hand on the closing track \u201cThe 5th Element\u201d, adding his deep gravelly voice to his verse and the hook alongside DC. Conceptually, the track adds another component to hip-hop: Knowledge of its origins. In conclusion, \u201cGuardians of the Boom Bap 2\u201d is a solid listen. It doesn\u2019t follow the trend of rappers trying to give hip-hop mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or declaring it dead on arrival. The message I drew from the album is that for all who think hip-hop is dead, it\u2019s not. You just have to know where to look for it.<\/p>\n
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