Body Bag Ben & Rick Hyde – “Hyde the Body Bag” (EP Review)

The east meets west on RickyHyde and Bodybag Ben’s newest EP “Hyde the Body Bag”. Released today, (Aug 6) this five track EP is a sweet taster of what these chefs are capable of cooking up. On this project, we delve into a chilling narrative where RickyHyde and Bodybag Ben massacre the competition with their lyricism and dark entangled production. These diamond in the rough artists define their talent by their ability to collaborate in ways that push the other to their furthest potential. Their hard works has yielded tracks of ingenuity, strength and unity. 

The first track “Skywalker OG Freestyle” featuring GoToMar$ provides a scary intro to the EP with a riveting organ-like backing track. All three artists go in locked and loaded smearing their talent across the song. We then go into “Voodoo”, one of my personal favorites on the album. The trickling piano combined with the eerie crickets sets the scene outdoors where we the listeners, imagine some suspicious characters lurking the corners in search of their next victim. However, the lyrics float over the finer things of life and even allude to classic literature. Track three “Hyde the Body Bag” featuring GoToMar$ introduces the duo’s star power. The beat is set in a minor chord paired with a classic New York sound. Bodybag Ben’s vernacular is vast and vivid alongside Hyde’s energy and grit. 

Delving into the fourth and longest song on the album “Tiger Blood”, this track features some of the underground’s brightest and best such as Mark 4ord, Kali Problems and GoToMar$. Each provide a different spice to this seven minute track where the production sounds almost like an anxious piano. I was grateful and honestly surprised that the artists managed to keep the piece so entertaining for that length of time. I think the decision to keep the longevity of the track demonstrates the duo’s bold creative palette. The last track “Make Amends” is a great choice for the final note on the EP. RickyHyde and Bodybag Ben walk you through their dangerous experiences where we learn to accept what has happened and to keep a weary eye on the streets and them two especially.

Score: 7/10