By Andre Widjaja

When the topic of west coast hip-hop comes up in a conversation, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube will most likely be repeated. Hopefully, one logical person in that discussion will bring up the impact Freestyle Fellowship had on that brand of Hip-Hop and the city of Los Angeles. Their free form lyrics and infusion of jazz and hip-hop production was almost unheard of at that time in the West.

Fast forward to the present, and the group is slated to release their new album, The Promise, almost ten years after their debut. But before they hire an event planner to put together the reunion party, founding member of FF, Myka 9, drops his new solo LP titled, Mykology, a rich selection of West Coast style production mixed with some jazz elements he and the group have been known for.

On “Tell Me,” Myka makes it look effortless as he melodically raps over delicate, staccato chords and some brass components. The song is loaded with different flavors, from the Spanish guitars to the jazzy saxophone, which is occasionally played over DJ scratches. It’s subtly groundbreaking

“Oh Yeah…Alright,” Myka brings the likes of Aceyalone, Casual, Sunspot and Kirby Dominant to party over a catchy hook and bouncy island percussion. No West Coast album would be complete without an anthem for the smokers. That’s where “Trimming” comes in. Myka passionately professes his love for “northern Cali crop.”As he sings the chorus with his smooth and thick voice, it becomes hauntingly similar in spirit to the late Nate Dogg.

The real gem of this whole project, though, is the heartfelt, “I Must Cross.” Myka paints an incredibly vivid picture of the struggle immigrants face once they land in a new country. “After walking long distances or hiding in trunks, climbing over fences, cutting holes in gates, making makeshift boats, coming in shipping containers and fake marriages, digging tunnels,” Myka raps. As the guitars quickly jump from note to note over some boom-bap drums, it creates for the perfect eerie backdrop for Myka’s message.

There are some points in the album where Myka falls victim to his own self-indulgence. On “Face of a Waterfall,” he breaks the course of the album as he chants his way through the song about “asteroids” and “eye of moons.” Although it’s poetic, it felt out of place amongst other fairly clear-cut songs with tangible and relevant issues.

“Don’t You Go” was also a song that could’ve gotten the axe as well. It’s a typical West-Coast beat with Dr Dre-esque drums. The song sounds recycled, especially for a track chosen to close out the entire album. It became tiring to listen to by the end of it all.

This album is somewhat of a throwback to 90’s West Coast Hip-Hop with an added modern spin. The production is mainly a beautiful blend of hard hitting Hip-Hop beats with subtle tones of jazz and soul elements. By the end of it all, the subtlety of some of the sounds and lyrics are the driving force of what makes this album so great. Hopefully, the project will help force the Freestyle Fellowship name into people’s consciousness the next time there is a debate about the prominent figures in West Coast hip-hop. If Mykology is any indication of what the upcoming Freestyle Fellowship album will be like, then fans have a legitimate reason to be excited.

3.75 Out of 5

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