Big Ghost Ltd. reunites with New Jersey lyricist Crimeapple for his 13th full-length album. He became a fan in the fall of 2017 when he collaborated with Big Ghost on his fourth EP Sweet Dreams to produce his full-length debut album Aguardiente, and the following spring his underground profile has grown exponentially ever since. Standouts on the record include “Wet Dirt” produced by DJ Skizz, “Medallo” produced by DJ Muggs, “Cartagena”, “Breakfast in Hradec” and “Sin Cortar”. Starting early this year, Preservation’s El León became my favorite piece of crime music in a while, and Aguardiente’s official sequel, Bazuko, ups the ante considering how important its predecessor was to his catalog.
After the “Introducción” intro, the first song, “Laugh Now,” is the album’s jazzy opener, telling a bitch to rub some salt on her shoulders and stay in his zone to roam the world, while “Re-Rock” Going the boom bap route instrumentally talking about the jeweler hitting him with water. “5000 Degrees” serves as a brutal reminder of Crime’s ability to melt you on the mic, before “Chemical Imbalances” lyrically dives into his hardcore package with more kick and snare.
“Trust Issues” has a darker beat, aiming to tie up unanswered questions, while “Pretty Girl Who Can Rap” goes in a soulful direction, musing on all the things he wants to have sex with who happen to be skilled MCs one cent. “Higher Learning” explains it’s just him and a couple of demons on the block over an organ-driven beat, but then the terrifying “Smoke Signal” talks about suffering from PTSD from a past mission.
Starting with Bazuko’s final stop, “The Tropicana” puts the jazz influence back into the mix, while “Las Trompetas” gives off a funkier vibe that talks about spending time with honey. “Motorcycle Sicario School” featuring Mickey Diamond, RLX and TF brings the quartet together over a sound sample to discuss their friends who came to Colombia for a g restoration, while “Die Later” features guitar, bass Drums and snares close out the album, talking about someone being balled up like aluminum.
If El León was my favorite Crime project for a year and a half, Bazuko has surpassed it 5 months later. Everything about Aguardiente, whether it’s Big Ghost Ltd.’s unique, original production, or the New Jersey emcee’s gritty hardcore lyricism, has been recaptured and elevated to show how far they’ve grown over the past 6 years.
Rating: 9/10
