Brand new LP and 6th producer/host from Rochester, NY 38 Spesh. Best known as the leader of Trust Army and founder of TCF Music Group, he has been very busy over the past few years, whether producing projects for the likes of Planet Asia and Elcamino, or his own solo work. The last time we heard Spesh on his own was nearly a few summers ago on the intimate Mother & Gun, which he fired off eight shots at the end of May.
“Free Game” skips a drumless, droning loop and spends its first 105 seconds talking about how rappers tell his life story and compete with it, while “The Main Line” actively discusses the reaper being at the door and Jesus trying to make a phone call. On “Used 2,” starring Rome Streetz, the two discuss how owning a gun isn’t enough, then lovingly rail against being a nobody on the self-produced “Be the Best.”
Che Noir appears with Spesh and poignantly addresses some “mental health” issues, and I don’t see “Speshal” as an episode where he promises those who sleep with him that they’ll eat because of him. Ransom’s “Trust Us,” featuring Smooth Haynes, doesn’t need any strings to carry its own verses in the second half, while “Heavy Burden,” featuring Dave East, is a soulful tale of carrying a heavy burden for the little guy.
The Great Wall, starring Curtis Coke, came towards the end of 8 Shots, responding to a group of people who wanted Spesh to stay put, even though Curtis’s verse had me on the fence, while Renovations talked about everything from to mushrooms on sale at the time. Busta Rhymes appeared to help Spesh recall the “Cold War” of 20 years ago, while the album “Everything” expressed his desire to have it all.
8 Shots continues the tradition of street-proven storytelling and incisive lyricism, further cementing 38 Spesh’s status as one of hip-hop’s most underrated multitalented artists, furthering his evolution by demonstrating the ability to connect generations of elite lyricists while continuing to elevate his own sound from both an MC and producer perspective. This theme brings us back to the courage that makes other lenses so popular.
Score: 8/10
