Eyebrows are going up and I understand why some people might be wrinkling their foreheads.
The very mention of Black Milk brings to mind albums ‘Tronic’ and ‘No Poison No Paradise’. Both sets are incredible, having their place on a list of LPs sure to live on. And on each of those Milk achieved next level performances behind the microphone and the boards.
Popular Demand, though, truly a dirty Detroit Hip Hop classic, is his first ascension to the dope beyond.
Still fresh from group B.R. Gunna (with Fat Ray and Young RJ), it was here Black Milk found his footing as a solo act. He did so with the balance of an Olympic gymnast.
From a production standpoint this is one of the most relentless albums of the 2000’s. Black Milk’s mouth-dropping tracks make the most of any sound system, especially “Shut It Down” and “Action” featuring a knockout guest appearance by Slum Village.
Other guests including Phat Kat (“Lookatusnow”), Guilty Simpson (“Sound the Alarm”) and One.Be.Lo (“Take It There”) all shined over Milk’s production.
Make no mistake, Black Milk firmly held the MC spotlight in the face of his peers.
“Time’s money and I’m counting every minute”, rhymes Milk early into the slumping, soulful opening title track. Those words prove a warranted precursor.
He doesn’t waste a second, filling speakers with audible astonishment throughout. From the moment the first beat drops its evident Demand is set to be something special.
Two tracks later on the bass rumbling, snare-kicking “Insane”, Black Milk proves rhymes are also a specialty. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
Classic Hip Hop albums reviews was trend originated by our friends at Concrete Magazine. Visit Concrete615.com.
