Now Kev works out irrefutably similar, minus the codependence and inner-squad beef. If AWOL One’s latest, Soul Doubt, wasn’t a testament then surely this 8 track EP will, because the Daddy flips accessible tracks that don’t conform his chosen artists but rather encourages experimentation in turn creating a platform of showcasing wildly styles that often get overlooked by heads unwilling to sift through more “eccentric” works. Who would of known The Shapeshifters’ Circus could sound so beautiful when given a beat that didn’t sound like it was made on a UFO. “This Stuff’s Really Wacko” almost has a club-bump to it yet the integrity remains intact as Circus rips as he always does. Mikah 9′s “First Things Last” bubbles in a rippling piano as the marriage of his subtle crooning and numerical rhyme-scheme bring back memories of earlier Fellowship classics (the song is simply infectious). Awol and Kev team-up for another success with a simple bass-lump alongside the Walrus’ archetypal contemplation on “Lick Me I’m Famous”. And he claims, “the roadmap to Hip-Hop is all left turns”, Daddy Kev succeeds countering the curves with simple, effective bangers; custom for his artists like Premier yet venturing into a sound all their own.

What makes this release so special is that even after all the cleaning up and primping out (assisted by ISP’s D-Styles), Awol remains the same Awol, just more audible and with a vastly improved bump. A track like “Rhythm” will pleasantly surprise longtime followers as well as draw in countless new fans, as the incorporation of club-friendly aesthetics and Blowdian-bred stylings make for an infectious marriage other crossover acts have failed repeatedly at (again, see Ras Kass). The bumps successfully continue with brash appeal on tracks like “Agony”, a headbanger of once again surprisingly results. The murky “Revolution” rolls subtlety with a softly crooning Awol modestly claiming “I make beautiful things fight each other, I make pretty things get ugly”. With an end result leading the listener to some simultaneous rewind/volume-pump action. Which could be said for throughout Souldoubt; Awol One and Daddy Kev collectively churn-out an album full of crisp, loveable music with unequivocally substantial rhymes happily meandering in all directions.

Souldoubt will open the closed heads of the past and bring them together with the faithful followers of the duration. Awol’s catalog is thick and sometimes difficult, this introduction will hopefully lead you on a journey to seek his often overlooked and misunderstood classics. From terribly sound quality to club-friendly bumps, the all encompassing Awolrus awaits you.