After serving rap addicts, myself included, for over a decade with their unique style of geek rap, Clear Soul Forces have now called it a day with their final album as a group. The final and fifth body of work is titled ForcesWithYou and serves as a bittersweet finale for the Detroit raised lyrical quartet. As expected, Emile Vincent, Ilajide, L.A.Z. and Noveliss put the pedal to the metal on this one and go out on a high note. Trimmed down to just 10 tracks, the boys deliver in tandem, a cohesive project brimming with exactly what their fans want; dope beats and dope rhymes.
Production on the project is handled by group member Ilajide for eight tracks while Radio Galaxy worked on the other two. Nothing is out of place here as the producers serve up funk-laden neck-snapping bangers that lay the perfect foundation for the off-the-cuff lyrical showmanship from the quartet. From the groovy-melodic opener "Gimme the mic" where razor-sharp rhymes are traded with laser precision to the mystical flutes of "Chinese Funk," there is more than enough lines that run the gamut of the group's lyrical fitness regiment. Video game nerds will smirk when they hear "Beware the tactics/ Using Sonic booms to lower you into a flash kick…" on the Ilajide produced banger "Bussaflow" while retro rap geeks will rejoice at the 90s bounce and catchiness of "Nine 5ive."
ForcesWithYou gets the job done and caters to the core CSF fans who have stuck with them since they first appeared on the scene. It's cohesive when it comes to the sound, consistent when it comes to the lyrics and ultimately lives up to the group's musical legacy. So as each member moves on to other ventures, let's show them some support because they truly deserve it.
Get the project on all DSPs here and get the vinyl via Fat Beats here.
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