BADBADNOTGOOD have mastered the art of jazz hip-hop through 3 outstanding albums under their belt. Now, they’ve outdone themselves and collaborated with the amazing Ghostface Killah, and the result is spectacular. Sour Soul pleases both the lovers of hip-hop and the lovers of their instrumental releases with its graceful and elegant charisma, and it is sure to win you over.
My favorite song, “Gunshowers”, displays the potential that both BADBADNOTGOOD and Ghostface Killah have when they team up and work together. They’re a force to be reckoned with, and I think this song shows that in full. BADBADNOTGOOD prove that simplicity is key for this track, and the beat is layered with old western guitars picking away in the background. The contrast is an amazing instrumental for Ghostface Killah to bring to life, and he does that with charm and the tiniest spark of aggression.
This album has a lot of other great features as well, with appearances from Danny Brown, Elzhi, Tree, and DOOM. All are great additions to this album, but Danny Brown’s verse on “Six Degrees” is my favorite. He absolutely kills that track, and you may not like it at first, but let it grow on you and see what you come up with. With that being said, my favorite song lyrically has to be “Tone’s Rap”. Ghostface Killah handles this song carefully, and with the perfect emotion he gives a great performance.
For the people who love BADBADNOTGOOD for their instrumental success, check out the songs “Stark’s Reality” and “Experience”. Both are instrumental, and both will satisfy your need for BADBADNOTGOOD in their true form.
Sour Soul has everything you need in a great collaborative album. The only complaint could be the length, but the 12 songs stand tall and it is easy to overlook the fact that it is around 33 minutes long. When I first heard the news about this album, I was highly excited and waiting down until the release. Sour Soul surpassed all of my expectations and it truly is the best of both worlds.
