Conway the Machine & Jae Skeese Unite to Deliver “Pain Provided Profit” (EP Review)

This is the brand new collaborative EP between Buffalo recording artists Conway the Machine & Jae Skeese. One being Westside Gunn’s brother & Benny the Butcher’s cousin with the other becoming the first to sign to La Maquina’s very own EMPIRE Distribution imprint Drumwork Music Group a couple years back. Both of them have worked with one another a handful of times since, but are joining forces to deliver Pain Provided Profit ahead of Con’s upcoming 3rd album Won’t He Do It at the end of the month & Jae prepping his sophomore album albeit Drumwork debut Abolished Uncertainties after coming off his critically acclaimed 3rd EP Authenticity Check last spring.

“Cocaine Paste” is a bluesy opener detailing the way Drumwork be landsliding whereas “Metallic 5’s” takes a more rawer approach from the boom bap instrumental referring themselves as 2 of the illest at large. “Stefon Diggs 2” dives into jazzier turf explaining that their story is motivation leading into “Le Chop” displaying a killer back & forth chemistry between the 2 talking about how they gon’ ride for their freedom over some keys, kicks & snares. The song “Immaculate Reception” is essentially a Jae Skeese solo cut keeping things in boom bap turf acknowledging that they watch his current position in the game while the penultimate track “Promise” is a more inspiring ballad from the beat to the lyrics about grinding for the paper. “Food” with Goosebytheway, SK da King & 7xvethegenius however ends things with a ruthless posse cut advising to get out their way.

Every time we’ve heard Con & Jae on the same song together, it’s always been nothing but pure heat & that’s exactly what I expected going into this EP right here. Lo & behold: It’s most certainly worth the listen for any hardcore Griselda fan like myself to the point where my anticipation for both Won’t He Do It & Abolished Uncertainties have increased as well. The production is hard yet rich as the student & teacher ping off each other as wonderfully as I could’ve imagined. The Drumwork takeover has officially begun & I’m all for it.

Score: 8/10