Here we have a brand new collaborative LP between Emcees Daniel Son & Raz Fresco of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The latter of whom I met during my freshman year of high school on the strength of his feature on ex-Odd Future member Ace Hashimoto's 5th mixtape All Day DeShay: A.M and the other comes onto my radar at the end of 2019 and connects with Futurewave for their classic sophomore effort Yenaldooshi. We've heard both of these guys together on numerous occasions, such as on the songs “Dirty Dozens” and “Big Bird,” so it should come as no surprise that they're kicking things up a notch. North side.
For starters, “Ice Water” works on a sample with kicks and snares that talk about how cold it is from going back and forth with each other, while the title track serves as a dusty ode to all things outlaws & Glocks bleeds from where people get even instead of aging. “WCHMF (Who Can't Hear Must Feel)” incorporates a string sample that explains that someone will eventually burn where there's smoke, while “Lawyer Fees” soulfully makes some noise in the studio.
“Rusty” with Gritfall brings a more rapid blast talking about trying to get rich, but then “Frostbite” goes into soulless turf, referring to themselves as pioneers where the path is empty. “Last Minute” returns to boom bap so both can bring you a different flavor to some stadium shit right before “What's the Mission?” he comes with an atmospheric, if dusty vibe, explaining that the mission they both have is to get paid.
Near its conclusion North sidethe laid-back drumless penultimate track “Watch Ya Mouth” flips Jeru the Damaja's iconic single “Ya Playin' Yaself” warning everyone in their vicinity to watch what's coming out of their mouths, that is until “Forks on the Road” closes the shop going back to the boom bap using the honorific metaphor to talk about not being sure which way to go and having to move on.
Physics of dirt & Bite the bullet with Asun Eastwood was my favorite since Daniel Son when it comes to my favorite collaboration projects with another MC and now North side has surpassed them both as my new favorite Raz Fresco collaboration. The sound the latter makes is like wearing a northern jacket in a blizzard in the sense that it is but with a sense of warmth inside, but they also pay homage to hip hop's deep roots in Toronto and add to that legacy with another steady contribution of art that continues to propel civilization forward.
Rating: 9/10
