If I remember correctly, I believe this is the 15th full-length record from Toronto emcee and producer Raz Fresco. I’ve known him since high school, both from some of his work and from his own extensive discography, including the Magneto Was Right mixtape series, the Gorgeous Polo Sportsmen album by Futurewave, the Boulangerie album by Nicholas Craven, the Cake Rhythm Tapes or more recently Gia…À La Carte’s EP last summer with Estee Nack. But with Cookin’ Soul coming up with Tha God Fahim’s critically acclaimed Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga last month, Bakin’ Soul seems more promising to me going into it.
“360°” opens with a lo-fi booming bap instrumental that refuses to let the mean city steal your smile, while “The Pure” featuring Dano and Lil Supa takes a funkier approach and talks about it all How the cutting edge will get you into trouble. end. Drumless jazz “Receipts” traces the loot before Estee Nack and Lord Apex joined Raz in “Kodak Moment”, talking about the kick and snare drums of Kodak Moment itself every time they release new music.
Looking ahead, “Snakes and Ladders” takes a symphonic approach, admitting that he first learned about life after playing the eponymous game, until Mussarini-starrer “Keep Pushing” returns to boom, when they spit , he made all the money. “Life Lessons” offers introspection over a crooning sample with kicks and snares, while “Regrets” featuring Tha God Fahim teaches youngsters not to make the same mistakes. “Marvelous Fabrics” serves as a reminder that even after supporting Ukraine, the hood is still starving, but then “No Cap,” starring Gritfall, closes shop with a somber beat calling out labels for paying for ads that sell backward lifestyles.
I personally was introduced to Raz shortly after starting my freshman year of high school, hearing his feature on “Why Bother” from Ace Hashimoto’s fifth mixtape, All Day DeShay: AM, because as you all know, I was on Being an Odd Future Kid in Adolescence & Bakin’ Soul is definitely one of his best works, mostly because of how organic his chemistry with Big Size and Zock Beats was.
Score: 8/10
