This is the 9th studio record from Kansas City, Missouri emcee Joey Cool. Initially a long-time affiliate of local indie hip-hop powerhouse Strange Music, he released a total of four mixtapes and one studio album until Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to Snake & Bat in 2017, following which he released his self-titled sophomore effort the following spring, followed by Old Habits Hard Normal and Colie High & I Tried to Be Normal. Last year, he returned with “Time Will Tell,” following “The Board” and the Mario Casalini-produced “View of the View” and “Rollercoaster.”
The Mario Casalini-produced “Swank Lord Back” begins with a skit before picking up the beat in the second half, featuring the “Strangeland” swankiest returning after a year’s break, while “Talk That Shit” shows he’s finished with Strange via C-Lance instrumentals. “International Coolie Anthem” shrugs off the fact that life can get a little hectic at times, thanks to Burna Music speaking to the people he considers brothers, which resulted in the rap-rock-inducing “Known Associates.”
On “Work of Art,” we get a fusion of R&B, pop-rap, and trap about a woman he believes is the one for him, before “Yam Jam,” featuring Kstylis and Roblo Dastar, moves on with a lackluster strip club anthem. ReadyRockDee and Richie Evans both show up so they and Joey can let out some “protagonist energy” over the beat of Wyshmaster, who then asks himself how he can “continue” living in a world he can’t change, losing his mind due to stress.
“You Feel It” concludes the first half of “Time Will Tell,” and after the “Tracker (Swanky’s Saloon)” interlude, “Set It Off” featuring King Iso, Rittz, Tech N9ne, and “Moonwalking Under Glass,” which features Ubiquitous’ fusion of jazz and trap, continues with the second verse, explaining that if some pieces are missing, they won’t be able to get a complete picture.
Saigon and X-Raided join Coolie, stoically reminding people who “must have forgotten” all the crap they haven’t forgotten while “hurry up!” talks about his urge to run laps whenever things get too slow for him. “Brunch in SoHo” combines vocal samples with some hi-hats that recall going from hood to mimosa sipping, while “Franchise” takes a more energetic approach and overall, no one wishes him any luck as he’s only going to get bigger in the future.
“Midnight in the Town,” featuring Gee Watts and Kye Colors, brings the three together, forgoing regional hardcore verses over a somber Matt Phoenix instrumental, though The President of the Board saves the best for last, and “This is My Love Song” does more than stylistically depart from his musical style. “Swanktified” ends the album by talking about continuing to scorch shit as the people who matter know his name for his fusion of rap and gospel.
Nearly a year and a half later, I still enjoy certain moments in “Rollercoaster,” but I can’t argue with whether anyone would take “Time Will Tell” as their favorite thing Joey Cool has ever made. Especially since I personally would put it there, along with the eponymous Old Habits Die Hard, Enjoy the View. Both this song and the latter are prime examples of how far he’s come in terms of versatility and songwriting since his early projects, despite the lack of a few guest appearances.
Score: 8/10
