Harlem, NY emcee UFO Fev teams up with Fredro Starr to produce his 8th LP. Coming in 2014 from his full-length debut Around My Wayjust 2020 saw his biggest year by dropping not 1 but 3 critically acclaimed projects: Statik Selektah's sophomore effort Clean Air along with the first EP produced by Termology From El Barrio, With love 3rd album produced by & the Big Ghost Ltd The ghost of Albizu. All this followed Great work along with Vanderslice production Dali Riddle & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunset in the ghetto & of course Finnish production Blood on the bills. A year and a half later Painting houses however, expectations for Tied up It was up there.
After the self-titled intro, first track “Best Dressed” is a hilarious opener and a moment for Fev himself, while “Batumi” dives head first into boom bap territory doing exactly what it's supposed to do right according to with the program. “Can we all get paid?” works on a kick-and-snare soul sample that asks if everyone can make bread to live better days ahead of “Bullets” with Red Inf recapturing the energy of their collaborative Vanderslice-produced EP Chemistry about 3 months ago.
“Fast Life” atmospherically breaks down the lifestyle he lives when he's on his level in the basement, just before “UFO Teknology” featuring Tek & Termanology brings the trio together with an intense beat so they can reassure everyone that they know the game and the subsequent result of it. “Peace God” takes a jazzy approach trying to teach his youth some lessons leading to “Sade X” calmly showing off his newfound brilliance.
Near its conclusion Tied uppenultimate track “Free Rice” returns to boom bap with a spacious twist hearing instrumental b-sides as well as catalog building and dodging matrix dots before “Visiting Hours” officially completes Fev's best album of the pair. years of mixing pianos and backing vocals bringing fresh flowers to his old girls behind bars wiping his tears and assuring him he is fine.
Fredro Starr has really been upping his game behind the boards over the last couple of years and much like giving SmooVth their best album in recent memory with Project near youhelped Feb deliver what has to be the most I've enjoyed a piece of his since Blood on the bills a year and a half ago. The general sound expands beyond boom bap in favor of jazz rap & drumless while Fev shows the audience a personal side of himself.
Rating: 9/10
