This is the 9th full length solo LP from Brighton, England, UK producer/emcee Leaf Dog. Notable for being among the best UK hip hop acts in recent memory The Four Owls as well as 3 Amigos & Brothers of the Stone, he started out on his own in 2011 with From a scarecrow's point of view until the sophomore attempt 6 years later Dyslexic Student it quickly became his most popular work and I loved it Live from the Balrog Chamber in early 2020 as well. However in 2024 alone he has released a total of 5 albums so far: Photosynthesis, Don't scare the crows now, Excellent in my field, Everything is possible & When the sleeping giants wake up. It's been 3 months since the release of Latter 2 & Leaf's produced BVA's most acclaimed solo effort to date The Dam Builder to state this as the Year of the Leaf.
First, “Life's All I Have” laces a soulful boom bap to talk about being what you see coming to the final destination, while “Pay to Play” works in another soul sample with kicks and snares that remind us that the game is free at all. “Weed Mantra” is another funky, boom bap crossover dedicated to all those listening who love good kush like me, while the mocking “I Don't Miss” showcases its cohesiveness.
“Authentic” ties in some strings keeping the kicks and snares in tact to speak the truth though the real ones already knew, but then “Dr. Ooze” strips the drums completely bare explaining that he'll make the futures look uncertain suddenly “Dem Times” with Jazz T returns to boom bap showing both styles of wylin before “Even If It” try soul music again, talking about the need of the newspaper as the country prepares for war.
The final leg kicks off with “I Need Little” mixing instrumentals with kicks and snares that all you need to get your groove on, while “No Sound” takes a wistful boom bap approach, organically speaking for those it's about . “Greed” soulfully tries to fill a hole deep within itself and finally, the last track “No Games” concludes Leaf Dog's 6th album of the year working night after night shooting for a better life.
Leaf himself has said he plans to release 2 more solo LPs before 2024 ends, and regardless of when he's ready to give them to fans, the fact remains that this was really the Year of the Leaf Integration When the sleeping giants wake up it's my favorite of the 6 he's had to offer so far. There are more drumless tones than on its predecessor, but despite all that, you still get the boom bap production he's known for topped off with personal and hard-hitting lyrics.
Rating: 8/10
