Photo credit: Philipp Jeker
Since the birth of Hip Hop in the early ’70s, artists have been striving to master their craft. From b-boys to graf writers and everything in between, staying true to the culture and art is held in the highest regard. The 90’s in particular welcomed an onslaught of some of the illest spitters of all time. From Black Thought to Nas, Jay-Z to Masta Ace, these golden era emcees are still relevant and still crushing every track they lace their vocals over. 2018 has been a golden era revival, even in the midst of rappers whose A&R’s resemble a “mountain climber who plays electric guitar” and the ghostwriter epidemic, the real always shines through.
Longevity in the game is not an easy accomplishment. We’ve all seen rappers come and go faster than the seasons, popular for a summer or two and then disappearing leaving a trail of forgettable music and funny looking dances. One thing that never goes out of style is top-tier production and stellar bars. With that said, Masta Ace and Marco Polo have delivered a top 10 album this year for Hip Hop enthusiast, “A Breukelen Story”.
The storyline follows Marco Polo, “a nerdy Canadian” on his adventure into unknown territory, Brooklyn NY. Leaving everything he knows and loves in his hometown he sets off to follow his “stupid a** Hip Hop dream”. With the storyline laid out Masta Ace paints vivid pictures of his city with songs like” Breukelen,” Get Shot”, and “American Me”. Ace illustrates like a master technician, seamlessly depicting the beauty and struggle of the infamous Brooklyn borough. Do the math, Ace born in 66, is out rapping cats 20 to 30 years his junior, further solidifying that the real will always be respected. Ace is the Bob Ross of rap.
With a plethora of bangers on this album, it’s really tough to pick the top songs of this album, my personal favorite is “Count em up” with fellow Brooklyn brother Lil Fame. The song highlights the industrial prison pipeline designed for black and brown brothers. This song is a boom bappin, heavy scratchin record that leaves you no choice but to nod your head in agreement to both the message and the music. It’s undeniable that Marco and Ace make a dynamic duo, keeping the torch lit as Hip Hop moves into the half-century mark.
Support the real, buy, stream, go see them live and share this album. It’s vital to the culture that we support not only the new kings but the elders who are still thorough on the mic.
