TYPILL and Statik Selektah Veterans Day Review

TypIll & Statik Selektah

Veteran’s Day

FatBeats

Released November 11

When a single producer works with an emcee for an entire project, the album always stands above the rest. There is a thread that runs through the album, a cohesive angle that broadens the impact. Statik Selektah has never made a bad beat. Simplicity is never his prolific output in the last years with consistency and potency, rivals Apollo Brown, Marco Polo, DJ JS-1 and more. Enter in TYP-Ill, a LINY, veteran MC that carries his past on his sleeve. Flourishing on the mic and over Statik’s funky string and piano concoctions, TYP-Ill brings fierce street stories and bragadocious skills.

Sometimes, he has a delivery and voice exactly like Chino XL. Less focus on metaphors and wordplay, Typ-Ill still carries venom. His strength is embedded in his detailed story telling. Obviously when TYP-Ill talks of his service and the impact on his constitution it holds sincere gravity. The weight of those experiences will shrivel most nonsense MC’s trite hood tales. However, TYP-Ill is quick to tell his stories of drugs, ladies, and debauchery just as quickly. The vivid painting which Ill’s lyrics and syllabic mastery depict matches some of the rap game’s best.

The bombastic feel of the soulful 70’s flare of “The Hustle” is captivating. Statik’s use of sparse, deep piano and pitch-bent female, emotive vocals and long brass notes and the wailing, wandering electric guitar all coalesce to enrich Ill’s story of having to slang to survive. This track is as colorful as any Scorcese flick. “Onyx” combines some funk and a PE type siren over raucous drums to motivate TYP’s retarded energy as he harnesses chaos with rebellious lyrics. TYP goes in and spazzes.

Songs like “Dog Tags and Duffel Bags” and “Soldier” again garner intense facets to create blistering racks. TYP and Statik team up over dark beats. From sparse strings plucking to a dense, heavy Hammond organ, Statik gets heavy, emotional beats from opposite approaches. Statik shows he is a master here. He can utilize many approaches to confront the listener. I believe his guidance had to be a factor in TYP-Ill hone his abilities.

A skilled, tongue bending lyricist, TYP-Ill gains respect through a weathered life. But his genuine sincerity and mature humility are the engrossing factors. Combined with Statik at the paragon of his game, and a myriad of funky ass drums, Veteran’s Day is a vicious, moving album.