Little Brother is a veteran rap group from Durham, North Carolina. The group includes artist Phonte and Big Pooh. These artists are major pioneers in the underground rap scene with releasing five albums.Along with the two artists is highly acclaimed producer 9th Wonder who provides the production for their albums.
After their previous album “Leftback” was released, the group has gone on a hiatus leaving their fans questioning if they were going to come back. Now the group comes back to release “May the Lord Watch" which shows how the chemistry between artists is still prominent with the opening track “The Feel."
It starts with a smooth hip-hop beat with Phonte and Big Pooh showing versatility in their rapping. Phonte delivers the first verse with gritty delivery and punctual lyrics such as “Who taught food for thought was only for the malnourished."
Big Pooh takes a different approach with his impressive flow and witty lyrics. Overall the two artists deliver an amazing performance and it shows how their hiatus didn't mess up their chemistry.
“Everything” talks about how the rappers think throughout the day. Phonte and Pooh trade verses which sound amazing over a laid-back hip-hop beat. Phonte provides some introspective lyrics such as “Hanging in the balance like a brand-new evergreen/ it comes crashing down as soon as the miracle swings." Pooh delivers a similar verse while matching the energy with Phonte.
“Right on Time” is a more energetic song with two artists discussing their rough times and how they got through them. Phonte and Pooh explain their subject matter well with their raw delivery. The production enhances the performance of the two artists especially when they start to feed off of each other.
“Black Magic (Make It Better)” talks about how people can make bad situations better. The song starts with an old school hip hop beat with Pooh and Phonte providing great performance. Both artists produce short verses with the transitions sounding like they’re both telling one story.
“GoodMorning Sunshine” starts with a soulful hip-hop beat while Pooh and Phonte talk about their upbringings. Similar to “Everything,” Pooh and Phonte do a good job with trading bars.
The production provides a cushion for the two rappers as they provide some great lyrics like “Punch up the data, man it’s rather tough to stand strong if you ain’t man enough.”
“Sittin Alone” talks about the current state of the music industry, especially in the party and club scene. Phonte is the only group member rapping which honestly brings down the quality of the song. Phonte by himself is a great rapper, however, the combination with him and Pooh sounds great with some of the previous songs.
Overall Little Brother did not disappoint with their return to creating albums. Phonte and Big Pooh show how they can still have great chemistry while touching on some serious topics. The production also stands with providing some old-school hip-hop vibes. However, when the group decides to split it takes away a little bit from the album.
Photo courtesy of HipHopDx.com
