Masamoon is an underground hip-hop supergroup consisting of Big Left, Aztek the Barfly, Billy NoJokes and Frankie Fadeless. You may remember Big Left as an original member of La Coka Nostra, or you may remember Aztek the Barfly’s third album Line King, which kicked off Middle Finger’s dominance of the Detroit hip-hop scene. Billy NoJokes introduced themselves rightly, having just teamed up with Admiral Atlas last spring, as MC/producer duo Billy Atlas and Frankie have been churning out singles/features for the past few years. The band debuted on “Get It,” the closing track of Big Left’s comeback Slaughter of the Innocents, which I now infamously call “beautifully ignorant, disrespectful shit.” Two and a half years later, the band recorded a full-length debut album, named after my breakdown of the song.
“Call ‘Em Out” is a soulful opener with four minutes of aggressive hardcore, while “Born Killa (You Lack Damage)” features some Stu Bangas kicks, snares and ominous vocals. Horn, talks about all 4 things that are breeding to become killers. Ill Bill joined Masamoon on “52 Steak,” brutally breaking down every studio session into a sword fight, culminating in the sequel to the “Shook Me” remix, which was uploaded to their Instagram in fall 2021 YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, on “Gunpowder,” we have Masamoon comparing their lyrical prowess to that of the titular Chemical Explosives, over a dirty-ass boom bap beat by Aztek the Barfly on ” Wasabi Wolf concocts this rhythm before it gets dusty on the instrument due to Pig Pen Showoff. The Billy NoJokes produced “No Answers” has to be one of the most brutal moments on the album, talking about having no answers and neither do you, but then the neck-breaking “100lbs” brings the exact pain & pressure of being prepared.
“Shadow Soldiers” creates a weirder flourish, about being a shadow soldier, while “Doké” features Moog synths with kick and snare drums, asking exactly how many times you’ve really seen the action and what you can Take it to the street or both (if you have a problem with them). “The Enemy Within (Arch Nem)” brings more roomy boom vibes, talking about shooting those talking gun shit and running away, while “Reveal the Snakes” lets them get scratched and disgusted.
From the record’s final verse, “Metaphysical Fly Shit” jumps over the top of a guitar sample intertwined with kick and snare so they can stay in their own lane, while “Ready” talks menacingly Karma is one very sexy looking bitch. The aptly named song “Dive Bar Dojo” is a song that gets everyone intoxicated, while “88 Assassins” finds four people singing one horrific song after another for about three and a half minutes. verse. The closing song “Jimmy Conway” ends the band’s debut with a final flourish about walking the path of the samurai.
Chances are, if you had told me ten years ago, when I was about to graduate high school and start writing music reviews, that at least one person would have made an entire album based on my breakdown of their songs, I would never have believed you. As for Masamoon’s debut album, it’s one of the dirtiest records of the year, revealing itself as an unstoppable force in the underground. Everything about it lyrically and in its production choices is reflected in its title: BIDS (Beautifully Ignorant Disrespectful Shit).
Rating: 9/10
