A new collaborative EP from Manhattan, New York hosted by Musalini and Smoke DZA. One of them has been an obsession for over a decade since I was in high school, while the other has been making waves for the past six years, signing to Jamla Records in early 2022. The guys had crossed paths on a few songs over the years, including “Multiple” and “On the Go,” so the idea of them spending a Saturday night uptown together and bringing a few other artists along didn’t seem too bad on paper.
“Respect Money Power” jumps over lush boom instrumentals, talking about the world being theirs and burning flowers, while Fuego Base’s “Blues” sets the trio over a jazzier beat so they can discuss counting $100 bills. “Mack 10” sets up a rap-rock vibe, before “Let’s Talk Money” closes out the first section of the EP, where they want to discuss finances and admit that having all this money in their heads is messing with their brains.
To keep the second half going, “Stash House” mixes string samples with some kick and snare drums, encouraging everyone to take in the scenery, while Main Cartel’s “Bread-Winners” is my least favorite guest spot, despite continuing the theme and continuing the previous track’s symphonic spin on traditional boom bap sounds. Mu$’s “Horses & Bourbons,” starring John Dutch, finds the pair talking about running rather than referring to the courtroom when they say “eye of the storm,” but “Eye of the Storm” ends with them adhering to the code because everything has a limit.
I’ve been a fan of Smoke DZA since adolescence, and I joined The Musalini when they were coming to the end of their tenure at TCF Music Group, and the idea of them teaming up for “Uptown Saturday Night” made me wonder if it could live up to the quality of Mu$’s “Choose EP or Lose” collaboration with Wais P and Statik Selektah last fall. While I prefer the latter, fans of both hosts will get a kick out of this long game. DZA and Mu$ could have done without a few guests, but DZA and Mu$ interacted well with each other during John Dutch’s set.
Rating: 7/10
