Jedi512 & Netherfriends - Beef (Album)
Collaborative albums between one MC & one producer is always exciting for me personally cause we get to feel the chemistry between the artist & those supplying the foundation for the artist to breathe life onto & "Beef" is one of the most unique collaborations I've personally seen. I just really adore how all the titles have something to do with beef or food in general. It reminds me of a particular record from this artist Edan, because while I have heard songs about food, I've never seen anything arranged as such, it really makes the record intriguing off rip & we haven't even jumped into the content yet.
On "Dark Meat," we get those deep bass lines that build up into a groovy head bop & Jedi immediately takes people through a masterclass of seamless lyricism. He's just going in, honing in on his craft & making it look so effortless in the process, all the while letting listeners know of his preference in women; it's a swanky beginning to the album. On "Wagyu," Jedi is melting the beef like butter with the heat he's delivering & it honestly hurt me to hear him let the dude down easy. The one with the trust issues whose girl is now going to see the Chef & what is he going to do, not serve her? Y'all just aren't eating the same & it's basic biology that she's going to go for the one who eats more.
On "Chicken," he taps 5tr3 for an anthem about rising above what was intended to be their downfall. Those damn chickens are plucking feathers with this one, then transitioning into the meditative "Hamburgers," which finds him reflecting on how far he's come & the sadness that comes with success. It's truly a shame that people feel a way once you start succeeding in any capacity, even if it's something people don't really want to do, like flip burgers, but he made a good living off of it. They are jealous cause they would never put in any sort of work, rather have things handed to them, but Jedi has no problem reverting back to that hustle to feed his team; he hasn't forgotten where he comes from.
On the title track, Jedi calls on A.J. Bray & Terminator Dave for a subtle banger where they can all pop their shit off & also bringing out a new flow from Bray. He's always a pleasure to hear; they don't want beef cause they're already ready to serve you like they work at "Mr. Murray's BBQ," so if you do want beef, he brought the sliders with him. That's a brilliant double entendre right there; he's not overplaying the tough guy act. He's just frank, pun intended & with the stakes high on "Steak," you'll surely get a few "Ribs" broken & torn apart like "Brisket" when you get a bowl of this mixture out of the "Crock-Pot." Y'all are gassed up like "Ranch Style Beans" if you thought shit was sweet as "Apple Pie." However, it actually is a bit sweet, probably the sweetest on this collection because it's separate from all the meats. Still, Netherfriends & Jedi, they delivered something that'll leave you scavenging the morsels leftover once all the "Beef" has been cooked.