Detroit emcee/producer and Reel Life Productions founder Esham is back for his 8th EP ahead of his 24th full-length. Widely recognized as the godfather of horror alongside former bandmates Natas Mastamind & the late TNT, in his run from 1989 to 2005 (particularly the albums KK Kill the fetus, Closed casket & Doubelievegod?) would go on to set the stage for subsequent horror acts such as Insane Clown Posse and even Eminem. The production of Sacrificial Lamb and then (basically after his 2 album deal with Psychopathic Records from 02-05) has been a bit of a hit, although I like the single “SSMD (Stop Selling Me Drugs)” & Partition respectively. Psychosis However, it was a creative detour for Esham as he produced the whole thing for the first time in a while, conceptually spinning what it was like for him living in Minneapolis during the George Floyd protests and a sound more inspired by rap rock But he comes fresh escaping Purgatory last summer, East Side Hoes & Money wants to serve the appetizer before the main meal at Amuse-Bouche.
The first song “Détroit (De-twah)” is a dirty self-produced trap opener on the EP that talks about being stuck in the trap trying to get this cheese and after the first interlude “French Lesson” goes “Back 2 Detroit”. straight boom bam charismatically telling the story of The Unholy himself. After the “Ahmooz-Boosh” break, Stretch Money didn't grow up listening to his uncle play Dead Flowerz & KK Kill the fetus to work with the inventor of rap acidity himself on the single “Transmission Fluid” with its cloudy vibe and hats representing 2 different generations of the east side, but then we have an amazing follow-up to the title track of Esham's first EP Love Poetry.
“Death by Snu Snu” takes its name from a quote from one of the best Futurama episodes that advise they “don't take the styles of sex back broken” and after another “French Lesson”, “X-Men” with Jack Frost & Mastamind gives me a jazzy boom bap vibe organically thanks to Dead Heat approaching at the end of the EP with all 3 MCs explaining that some of you out there need to learn how to hold a different hoe and “IGSOID (I Gotta Stop or I'll Die)” officially ends Amuse-Bouche he talks about drug addiction and he has to really try to kick the habit or he will lose his life.
Bearing in mind that Esham has a brand new LP coming out sometime in the near future, I can totally see why I put out 7 new songs and only 3 in between until then. In fact, this EP has me excited for the new album since it continues further down the trajectory that Psychosis started & Purgatory he traveled further down in the sense that he is gradually making better works again. His production balances old and new sounds, the very few guests represent different generations of the city, and the godfather of evil proves he's still a capable storyteller.
Rating: 7/10
