(Photo By Audio Mack)
“Anarchy” (previous review)
http://www.audiomack.com/album/wesley-haygood/peace-to-the-gods
The fellas of First Class (Skyy Phreshh & Scottie Phreshh) officially released their debut mixtape Peace To The Gods last month. It’s an eleven track collective with executive production from New Kid Beats. Previously unleashed singles “Anarchy” and “Late AM” (see video below) make up two of the gems that can be found on the tape. Continue reading after the break to see what other treasures The Illixer found when giving the tape a spin.
“Trenches”
The production here is golden. The hearty foundation, old school style supporting details, alluring rhythm, and suave vibe make for a superior combination. There is no traditional type of hook present on this cut. The title is just played upon throughout the piece with a little voice over action thrown in as well. The verses are choice. The duo come through with clean crisp flows, trendy wordplay, and savvy rhymes. They make it very evident to the listener that they are well on their way to rising from the bottom and heading straight to the top. A highlight from the opening portion of the song includes: “Everybody got them monsters creeping in they closet. See ’em walking. I just kill ’em like these goals that I target. No bargain when you shopping with a king, baby breathe. I ball like I’m Harden. Tell these cats play some d. Mindset you got it locked. Man stop, we got keys.” Those are some blazing lines right there. Overall, this is a banging record.
“Mary J”
The production here is likable. The subtle infrastructure, easy going background elements, casual tempo, and laid back vibe work admirably together. The hook is quality. The delivery is catchy and the lyrics are straightforward. The verses are sufficient. The guys utilize fresh flows, consistent wordplay, and colorful rhymes. They do a promising job of paying homage to everybody’s favorite lady Mary Jane in an expressive fashion. A sprinkling of lines worth taking note of are: “Rolling down the window while I’m smoking Indoe. Cops try to stop us. We ain’t giving in though. B—h in the backseat rolling up. She with First Class. Snap chatting all her friends though. I ain’t really tripping hard. That’s what b—hes do. If she gone smoke weed, she could kick it too.” One has to appreciate all of the personality dripping off of those bars right there. As a whole, this is a slick little number. Smokers will dig it for sure.
“Outro – New Gods”
This is the very final track on the tape. The production here is captivating. The eclectic base, dramatic musical ingredients, energetic pace, and businesslike vibe mesh up winningly. The hook is concise. The delivery is creative and the lyrics are non-complex. The verses are valid. The flows are prominent, the wordplay is top notch, and the rhymes are official. The pair prove that they have every right to be ranked among the other “gods” in the rap game with an impressive display of finesse. A handful of lines that are sure to have the listener running them back are: “Working, working, trying to find some hope in all this hopelessness. Word to brim, I was getting lit up when I wrote this s–t. My crew so f–king sick. Nah, they don’t know what quit is. Don’t make me call them hitters up. And I’ll make sure they get ya, n—a. And I bet that cash that I already got. First Class n—a finna head to the top. Got a couple of bad b—hes up in my spot.” Those are some heavy hitting bars right there. In the end, this is a very boss conclusion to the project as well as a site favorite.
**My Two Cents: Peace To The Gods is a befitting debut. One can tell that First Class worked hard to put together a versatile collective that will appeal to music lovers of all kinds as well as show off their range as artists. They put their original style to good use and come with some pretty adequate content. And the production is flattering. Plus, you know we love the fact that the tape wasn’t jammed pack full of guest appearances. One was plenty. The lyrics could’ve been stronger in parts. Also, it would be nice to hear the fellas step outside the box a bit more for production here & there. They thrive on being different. So they should really push the envelope. But they have plenty of time to grow and experiment. Peace To The Gods is a great beginning. Readers should definitely make it a point to take a listen to the work. -MinM
