“Mirrorland” is the third studio album from the hip hop group EarthGang, based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Rappers Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot make this duo unique by combing Rap, R&B, Jazz and Funk. “Mirrorland” pays homage to the popular movie “The Wiz” and it shows with the first song “LaLa Challenge.”
“LaLa Challenge” starts this album with a soulful R&B beat while Johnny Venus starts to create the atmosphere for this song. Doctur Dot then comes in and delivers a great verse, as well as matching the intensity of Venus. Then the song makes a hard turn into a crazy upbeat type. “LaLa Challenge” is a great opener to this album and it sets the tone for the next song “UP.”
“UP” keeps the energy going with its psychedelic hip-hop beat. Venus sets the pace with his unique voice to match the tone of the track. His inspiration comes from the movie “John Q” which you can see with his intensity and craziness. Dot comes in with a calmer verse while matching the speed of Venus’ rapping. The first two songs show how good the chemistry is between the two artists.
“Bank” is a braggadocious track that includes a heavy trap beat as well as Venus and Dot talking about their path to success. Venus touches on topics with lyrics like “You measure a man by they likes on the ‘Gram but how do he move under pressure?” Dot comes with some clever lines like “Hypebeast/ F*** the hype, been a beast, I was born with teeth.” While this topic is bland, the production and the performances of the artists make it listenable.
“Swivel” is about how Venus and Dot always keep their guard down with facing their fears. EarthGang uses old-school hip-hop to explain their topic while using their unique voices. This track also includes the two artists rapping more frequently than others. Doc starts the track with a surprisingly good flow while Venus comes in to bring more energy to the song.
“Tequila” marks the first collaboration between EarthGang and T-Pain. It discusses how the rappers deal with stress by drinking. The track includes a tropical beat mixed with horns and guitar. Dot makes good use of his vocals especially whenever he sings the word “Tequila.” Venus joins Dot in the chorus and gives his verse about how he relieves stress. T-Pain’s verse was average at best, but he matches the vibe of the song.
“Blue Moon” starts with a psychedelic instrumental that meshes well with Dot’s voice. It talks about how busy the artists are with their music careers becoming more stressful. Dot’s verse is surprisingly average and Venus over shines him with his witty lyrics and weird voice. However, the song’s production does give it some life and does enhance the performance of the two artists.
Overall “Mirrorland” does a good job of creating an atmosphere similar to “The Wiz.” The only negative is when the production outshines the artists. While the it is amazing, EarthGang sounds bland over these great beats. Besides that, EarthGang delivers a very good album. 4/5
Courtesy of Dreamville Records, Interscope Records, and Spillage Village.
