Cassette Review // Kaboom Atomic x The Dirty Sample "2 Cents" (Hand'Solo Records)

https://handsolorecords.bandcamp.com/album/2-cents

To call "2 Cents" a political album might be an understatement.  This is really about taking sides in the way that it's the 1% against us, and even though the lyrics might make some people think otherwise I guess it's good that you're thinking.   An audio clip introduces us to two old guys talking about pain before we go into "It Ain't Me".  This is such a strong way to kick off this cassette and it's the type of message everyone just really needs to hear.  I enjoy the lines: "You blame the media, but you consume it / You blame the people that study because you're stupid".   And perhaps one of the most important lines in modern times:

"You never feel the leash when you stop lunging forward

Once you know the limit they just up the quota

Right people, wrong side"

This whole cassette is just brilliant in the way that there are songs where you just want to pick apart the lyrics and have college courses discussing the way they reflect our current culture.  And then at the same time, you get a song like "Are You High?" or "I Hate Rap" and it's just a different vibe all together.  I suppose it is to not drop too much deep knowledge on us at one time, to kind of lighten the load, but a lot of what is being said on this cassette is what needs to be said more often and highlighted by those on the right side of history.

Musically I hear bits of Myles Bullen in here, KRS-One and even the type of Eminem songs you know were produced by Dr. Dre.  This has a steady beat to where you can nod your head, but also need to pay attention to the lyrics.   A bit of that record crackle can be heard in the background at times and "It's On Us" has those strings I believe to be violins.   The music is just there, and as "I'm Your Least Favourite Rapper" says: "If it ain't dirty it must be the wrong sample".

Even as we get to the song "Ashes" you can still hear lines not about politics as much as just how our country is being ruined with the lines: "You hate the elite with cash on your mind / You ordered that sign off of Amazon Prime / No vaccine but a can of Coke's fine / No microchip but you can't be offline".  

This cassette contains a bonus track and instrumentals on Side B.  I cannot state enough how much I absolutely love this cassette.  This is not only my favorite rap album of the year, it's up there for all-time and just in general one of my favorite pieces of music this year.  The only "problem" with this cassette is that I think the people who truly need to hear these words won't or if they do hear them they won't change.  This message needs to get into the heads of those who didn't realize what machine we were raging against exactly, but it will likely be appreciated and listened by those of us who always knew.