Insomniac Magazine told you about 38 Spesh’s “38 Strategies of Raw” when it dropped, now Hipnotik1 takes a deeper dive in this review.
After dropping 2 solid projects last year, 38 Spesh was eager to keep the ball rolling and bless us with more generous offerings. The Rochester, NY emcee started the New Year off by giving us a warm up with his entirely self-produced EP, “5 Shots.” Not too long after, Spesh kicked off February by releasing his newest album, “38 Strategies Of Raw.” The full length record is packed with head nodding Boom Bap production, and bars consisting of advanced street politics. The guest appearances include Klass Murda, Ransom, Che Noir, Fred the Godson, Green Double and Benny the Butcher.
38 Spesh’s “Son of G Rap” was one of my favorite projects from 2018, so I was looking forward to his follow ups. After listening to “5 Shots” and “38 Strategies of Raw,” it’s apparent that Spesh doesn’t always rely on a lot of heavy bass lines or fast paced beats to showcase his skills. A majority of the production is more mellow, and soulful, as opposed to eerie, grittier styles that some of his counterparts may be known for. The tracks most worth checking out are “Empty Plates”, “Soul Pain”, “Trust Gang,” “Family”, “Dark Nights” and “What More.” If you’re interested in purchasing physical copies, CD’s are available on Spesh’s bandcamp page, while vinyl pre-order will go up in March via De Wrap Winkle Records. -Hipnotik1
