With a plethora of projects behind him and a reputation as a hard-nosed emcee who can hold his own, Truth gets right to business on “Truth Is” and aims right for the jugular with verbal darts:
“You can’t conceive like you got your tubes tied
You fools trying to play,What the fuck is you confused by
You acts like an expiration date, you bet used by
Highly abused by, yours truly, I’m the chief rocker
Lord of the Underground, pound-for-pound hip-hopper”
The track is also augmented by the vocal samples and scratched chorus which help cement the rapper’s stance in the game. The next track “Lock and Load” sounds exactly like the title. backed by the cinematic brass stabs, scenic strings and snapping drums, Truth is utterly disrespectful towards his opponents and besides the 1-2 punches he humiliates them with lines like “I was born to lead, you were made to follow the pack” reminding them of their position on the totem pole. The fun continues in the dark and brooding “Spit It” sees Truth teaming up with AL Skratch (of Il Al Skratch fame) and Kurious and together they deliver another hard-hitting gem that focuses on dope lyrical schemes.
Truth doesn’t stop for breaks or slows down his verbal trajectory for anyone on this project and with a war-ready mindset, he proceeds with his blitzkrieg on tracks like “Here & Now” and “Da Beatminerz Sound”. The former sounds like a scene from a retro war flick while the latter takes listeners deep into the mix of the action with its crunchy drums and anthemic aesthetics.
“Won By One's Will” blends soul and gritty boom-bap elements seamlessly meshed for Truth’s no-holds-barred performance. The icing on the cake is the way the emcee plays with the melodic vocal sample on the hook to deliver a resounding message to anyone thinking of challenging his authority. “Queens Carnivores” sees Truth connecting with Q-Boro rap governor, Royal Flush for a funky, head-nodding homage to the borough that raised both emcees because, as Truth says, “I owe it to Queens to help in some way for keeping the tradition alive!”. Backed by Da Beatminerz who craft a snapping backdrop for the rappers, listeners are gifted that classic NY hip-hop that channels the golden era. Both Truth and Royal Flush come through with nothing but pure lyrical darts filled with engaging rhyme schemes and punchlines to match. The song also comes with a video clip directed by Los of Classic Material NY and edited by 40oz Productions.
The project closes out with“Calling” and “Supposed to Represent “, two solid cuts that solidify the project on a high note. The former has a midtempo groove and soulful sample that captures the raw grittiness of Truth’s world and he reminds us that he gets busy (shouts to GFK on the hook). The latter is a cinematic offering that serves as Truth’s testament as the lyrical maestro that he is.
Stream Nostalgia ThEraPy on all DSPs here via Animal Military Records.
Connect with Truth: Spotify | SoundCloud | Bandcamp | Instagram
Connect with Da Beatminerz: Spotify | Instagram
Connect with DJ Evil Dee: Instagram