This is the fifth studio record from Greenville, North Carolina veteran Supastistion. In 2003, after seven years of bad luck, his debut mixtape “Under the Table” debuted in 2003 to mixed reviews, and his second release “Chain Letters” regained critical acclaim with his debut EP “The Deadline” under Soulspazm Records. “Split Image” after a break allowed us to see two different sides of him, while “Gold Standard” before “Blackboard” and “Honest Living” came out on his own after I graduated high school through his own label Reform School Music. Produced by RJD2 more than a decade later, “According to…” follows “The Sacrifice” as well as “Every Last Word and Everything Unsaid,” and I’m beyond excited because it could be a career highlight for Kam Moye that will reaffirm his longevity.
“Back Talk” starts off with a bit of hardcore industrial hip-hop vibes, letting him talk his shit, while “1 Last Time” takes the route of a booming beat, acknowledging that moments like this may never come again. “Machines Like Us” moves forward, telling the story of never sleeping and working until the day he died, and in “Wins & Losses” starring J-Live, the two explain that they have everything and nothing to lose.
J-Live continues to talk about how their lyrical freshness will last forever on “Expiration Date” and expresses his recent desire to acquire a new group of friends on the funky “Reset (Better Friends).” Beast of the Minute, on the other hand, opens the second half with two-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE World Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion and 9-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair.
“The Mourning After” reflects on the difficulties he’s faced over the past few years, while “Bittersweet” skips over a booming instrumental to tell a woman he no longer sees that he wants the world to end on her wedding day. “Carte Blanche” brutally dismisses any fool who thinks they’re on their level artistically; while STS’s “Rent Money” jazzily talks about the stress of having less money, “A Beautiful Ending” concludes by declaring that we need to live each day as if it’s our last.
“Chain Letters” has always been my personal favorite from Supastition’s underappreciated discography, but when I learned that RJD2 was going all out on “According to…” my hopes for it were greatly increased, as “Deadringer” stands out as one of the greatest releases in Definitive Jux’s entire catalog, and needless to say, those expectations were exceeded. The two artists blend their unique styles and push creative boundaries while being rooted in classic hip-hop sensibilities and delivering an unexpected sense of familiarity.
Rating: 9/10
