Brooklyn, NY combine Rock & Ruste Juxx for a brand new collaborative LP. One of whom is a member of Boot Camp Clik as well as the now defunct subgroups Heltah Skeltah & The Fab 5 alongside the late Sean Price, while the other was a Ruck protégé debuting on Heltah Skeltah's sophomore effort Magnum Force. They've crossed paths countless times over 26 years and to mark almost a decade since Sean's death, they're coming together to take us through Crownsville.
The title track is a sick boom bap opener representing Brownsville & Crown Heights respectively, while “Black Out” has a funky glow to the beats proudly wearing the borough that made them on their sleeves. “Vehicular Manslaughter” produced by D-Block Records in-house producer Vinny Idol works with more kicks & snares showcasing some of their hardest lyrics on the album before “Crash Ya Whip” aggressively makes you choose one of 6,000,000 ways. to die.
After the Bernadette Price Speaks skit, “Sean Lives On” serves as a heartfelt tribute to P with a ghostly boom bap instrumental while “B-83” travels with the trap feel like an open slap in the palm so that be able to bend their status as nuclear bomb threats. “Ruck Down” brings a rap rock vibe to the table thanks to Bumpy Knuckles representing Sean's independent label Duck Down Music Inc. Ruck Down Records, but then “Change Nothing” featuring Frankie Storm finds the trio bonding and advising the listener not to change -up.
“Dust Pan” has a fun chemistry from Rock & Ruste, warning that your whole group will be swept along with them for about 135 seconds, while “Kings County” takes inspiration from rock music, again organically calling out its namesake county Brooklyn. “Wotcha Call Strength” by Boot Camp Clik ends Crownsville with the collective reuniting for the first time since 2007 for a high-energy 6-minute closer from The Arcitype.
Knowing both artists' individual history with Sean Price, it's only fitting that they join forces for the duration of an entire album and one that would make Sean proud if he were still with us today. Rock & Ruste crank up their chemistry to 33 minutes in addition to a pair of guests backed by the sounds of boom bap, a hint of trap and of course samples of rock and soul music.
Rating: 8/10