By Ahmad Awadallah
The Away Team has been holding down North Carolina and the collective Justus League for a little over half a decade. Khrysis’ vintage flavor production and MC Sean Boog’s raw flow have captivated underground audiences and their newest album, Scars & Stripes, is a true testament to real Hip-Hop. Khrysis mans the production on the lengthy album (17 tracks to be exact) and plenty of guests assist Sean in obliterating the blazing tracks. Their newest effort is thorough overall, but ultimately there is nothing outstanding. The record fails to shift to fourth gear and instead remains in third at best.
The album kick-starts with with gentle humming hovering in the background as Boog booms with pin-point lyricism. The track “Scars and Stripes” demonstrates The Away Team’s classic chemistry with true rhyming and funky production. Khrysis really hooks this beat up with shrill snares and saxophone samples, adding zest to the dirty, stifled beat. Boog goes hard and continues to gloat about being the talented, war tested and the truest rapper in the game.
Dilated Peoples’ star Evidence blesses the eerie record “What Is This.” Production-wise, the track is sloppy with ghostly humming and brolic drum patterns looped throughout. Luckily, both rappers possess stern lyrical prowess to give this track a much-needed crutch. The next track “Road to Redemption” still maintains that eeriness, but packs a more buoyant feel with triumphant trumpet, smooth humming samples and occasional cheerful chimes.
“Drift” is conceptually different than the other 16 tracks in that Boog focuses on something we do a hundred times a day: let our minds wander. The most entertaining verse on the song is definitely the second verse, as he spits about a maniac doorman who catches a rich dude slipping. “He put the flare to his jaw/give me everything you got from your watch to your car/he took it all/left him in his socks and draws,” pure heat from the North Cacalacky native.
“Hot Potatoes” might sound like a corny title, but the song is far from it as SB, Halo and Sundown rip the guts out this one. Sean continues to let the posse bust out on the song “Paid,” this time featuring Tampa Bay wordsmith Laws and Big Remo. Laws probably spit the best verse on the whole album. His 16 will make you a fan for sure.
“Proceed” and “Get Down” are identical and the rhyme content fails to switch-up. From head-to-toe, the tracks are decent and deserve a listen or two, but after hearing the same type of content and muffled production for most of the album, it becomes a little blasé.
Duck Down Records and 9th Wonder should be proud to place another solid LP in their acclaimed album catalogs. It’s a cohesive piece of work, but it’s too stagnant to be considered their best opus. There isn’t really a “best” track on the album, as most of the records are similar sounding songs hinder the album further. The album hits 75 mph after a couple songs, but fails to exceed that speed (it seems like the duo let-up on the gas and coast at 55 mph a few times during the LP). It’s like a Hulk Hogan leg drop: effective, but ultimately too one note to finish off a real opponent.
Out of 3.25 out of 5
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Analysis definitely on the money. Album was not that good.
Disagree, I gave it a 4.25. Thought this was Khrysis’s finest moment as a producer, putting together a complete project, liked but didn’t love the last two Away Team albums, but this has some staying power. Bad News, Happenin’ Now, Picture This are tracks that deserve to heard more than twice. 2 mixtapes they year by Sean Boog, you definitely hear the progress in his concepts and themes on Scars and Stripes. I like this album A LOT, and I didn’t think I would going in to.