Milwaukee, Wisconsin emcee/producer BLAX returns with his fourth studio record. Breaking onto the scene over a decade ago with his debut mixtape BLAX x Life x Files, followed by his debut EP Archangels and debut album Be Well, he temporarily changed his moniker to Armstrong Ransome on his second album Dedicated and second EP Found, before reverting to the BLAX moniker for his next few EPs Angeline and Wembenyama. A few years ago, his last album, BLAXPLOITATION, took the classic sounds of hip-hop and added some modern elements, impressing us with its universal methodology.
“Soul(4)caster” begins with a drumless, lo-fi instrumental that talks about being shot high in the clouds, while “Brass Railz Cabaret” goes for a jazzy vibe that feels like he’s on fire while he’s never claimed to be the hottest before. “Oneirology” takes a somber boom beat, talking about the study of dreams, while “PoetGvngDevoshun(all)” takes a more soulful beat, showing that those who don’t speak the same slang don’t mean the same things he does.
Continuing into the second quarter, “The Ominous Mobb” combines elements of jazz and boom bap to remind the world what kind of crew in their place try to screw up, leading to “Ya Hip Hop Weak” becoming more aggressive so he can lyrically shred all the crap out of him on a regular basis. The “24hrs7days” experiment was kind of talking about having to get your money every day of the week, and then “Brew City Cab Collective” took a hipper tone with some slick bragging.
“Agencement Manifesto” begins Almighty Method’s other half with another drumless beat, expressing his belief that there’s no such thing as overnight success, while “Young Little Ghetto Boy” is more trap-influenced than “24hrs7days,” showing a more conscious side of his pen. “Take a Picture” paints a vivid portrait of his mother raising him in the ghetto over the bluesy instrumental, while the “Pop, Toast!” hitmaker talks about his vision, veering into funkier territory like a pro, grabbing the Ws.
To keep things going for the final stretch of the full-length, “3rd Eye Open” returns to a booming rhythm with a luxurious turn that talks about achieving higher states of consciousness, while “Alive Wyre!” swaps out the piano in favor of a soul sample, choosing to talk his shit over this piano. “Divine Direction” contains some jazzier tones, touching on his devotion to God, while “Beauty + Health” offers a soulful conclusion, talking about prioritizing his accumulation of money.
BLAX has been engrossed in Milwaukee’s underground music scene for 20 years, and “The Almighty Method” is once again a career highlight that rivals its predecessors as one of the greatest releases in the The God Degree Records founder’s entire catalog. The work is primarily inspired by jazz music and, aside from a few detours exploring “boom bap” or “chipmunk soul and trap,” represents the pinnacle of independent work by conscious lyricists since the 2000s.
Score: 8/10
