Maestro Williams is a 42-year-old producer from Kansas City, Missouri who stands out as 1/3 of the Griselda Records production trio The Heartbreakers. His popularity in recent memory has been growing exponentially, earning himself the opportunity to collaborate with the likes of Drake & J. Cole to more recently REi the Imperial for Function: Flamethrower EP last month. This eventually resulted in his 3rd installment Conductor, we have a problem Lines of guest performers on every song unlike previous beat tape releases up to this point.
After the introduction of “Modus Operandi V”, Evidence's first song “Paint Pictures” starts us talking uncharacteristically about matching it less the more it does, while “Get Away!” by Rome Streetz was a great pick from a lead single that attacked their opposition for a wash. After the “Board 40” break, eLZhi's “Hell in a Hellcat” takes the boom bam instrumental to talk about being an anomaly before Domo Genesis' soulful “Space Heater” points out that it's not what they thought . d be.
Russ' “Ecstasy” has this incredible, melodic rendition that just kills the vibe for me personally, leading into Benny the Butcher & Wiz Khalifa's dusty “Hold You,” telling everyone not in the game to stay in the stands. After the 'Skin' interlude, Leon Thomas III's 'Guilty' shifts gears in favor of a passionate R&B ballad just before Bishop Nehru's sampled 'Down Bad' precedes his upcoming self-produced album. Solace in the shadows later this weekend.
The penultimate track “Necessary Cherry” from Wiki pushes towards the final moments of his 3rd part Conductor, we have a problem trilogy about shipping, mundane and fantastical at once, Elijah Hooks' “Kent” ends with the latter singing over this subdued instrumental a promise to his beloved that he will be there when called.
Aside from a couple of artists buckling under their weight, this is pretty much everything I'd expect maestro Williams to do in a production project. The overall sound mostly sticks to the signature hardcore boom bap aesthetic that many know him for with a hint of R&B on the side with a mostly well-curated list of artists coming along for the ride.
Rating: 8/10
