Pill – 4180: The Prescription (2009) [Grind Time] // Grade: B+

Uh oh! This is the best hip hop release I’ve heard this year. Dude is rolling with Killer Mike and Grind Time, and bringin’ the fuskin heat! First off, let me say that the art of choosing beats is an underdeveloped skill amongst many rappers. Dude here did not miss out on that talent in his rap come-uppings. Solid all the way through, and he’s goin in over a well-curated selection of different beats. He goes from dynamic southern swang, to throwback NY golden era soul sample sounds, and back. You don’t wind up with a diverse sounding album without musical competence, and Pill rolls out some tough flows. He’s got a bunch of cadences on lock, and he delivers with that good southern drawl–he’s tropical, and familiar.

For the most part it’s just Pill on the tape, there are a few guest spots, but they’re few and far between, so you get to really hear what dude is about/capable of, and what he is capable of is a finessed blend of trap talk, witty writing, dope flow, and smart raps that delivers as much musical excitement as cultural excitement. That’s a tough balance to strike, and most rappers (read 98%) fail miserably at it. I’m not trying to say that there is anything inherently unmusical about rap music, but it suffers from a great deal of musical anemia, catering instead to a glutton of cultural significance. Pill pulls through and strikes a balance with the auto-critique of “Back Outside,” played against the d-game praising “Trap Goin Ham,” played against the lyricism of “It Aint Eane Gotta be Like This.”

You can ride to this shit, but you can also dive into it. Don’t miss this one.

Download Pill – 4180: The Prescription (Click Here)

- Zachg