First we stopped down in Chicago, with the W2NDCH2LL; then we took a nationwide road trip, with Surf N Turf; now Mishka has invited us on a world tour to visit some of the best producers the international community has to offer, in their latest beat tape Seasick/Jetlag. Lit it's two immediate predecessors, this beat tape is actually a double disk containing twenty tracks on each, bring it to a grand total of forty. Seasick/Jetlag is a long experience, but one that is filled with a variety of new and exciting sounds. It is impossible to come away from the tape without discovering at least one or two new producers that you will have to follow.
While Seasick/Jetlag features artists that are not household names yet, there are a few big names that will immediately demand your attention. Stwo, hailing from France, contributes a beautiful instrumental in "Aura," which features his signature airy R&B laden style. OG Kaneda delivers on "Thru Da Phone," which unfortunately doesn't include any of the Soulja Boy vocals in the beat, but is way too gorgeous to actually find some fault in it.
Like W2NDCH2LL and Surf N Turf, these beatsmiths were not in the same room collaborating together to create one cohesive sound for Seasick/Jetlag. However, it is a testament of their talent and those working behind scenes that they were able to come out with one unifying theme and atmosphere. Seasick is the more uptempo the two disks, featuring music that will make you want to move and bop your head to the beat. Jetlag is the soundtrack to a blunted out session, ethereal and majestic in scope. You can lose yourself for hours in both of these disks; you should note that each track is like Lays Potato chip, you can't have one and once you start your afternoon can be severely compromised.
Seasick/Jetlag has too many talented producers on it to adequately list them all. Swimful Buterfly, YEVRS, Kaligraph E, Dave Luxe, YONDERBOI, and Tay Lewis are some of the names that kept coming up on repeat on my listen through. Tay Lewis' "F.W.M" left me wanting more, it was way too short. On "Freak U", Dave Luxe found a way to turn a standard sample into something incredibly special. Swimful Buterfly's "Heavy Water" is one of the most breathtaking tracks I have heard this year and will definitely be in my rotation.
Seasick/Jetlag is a massive achievement that could only happen in the internet era; over eighteen different countries and five continents are represented on this tape. It is a testament to the ever growing connectivity in society that we have grown accustomed to, but it should be appreciated as the glorious piece of art that it is. You have to hear this beat tape to understand the magnitude of its scope. Mishka knocked Seasick/Jetlag out of the park.
