Rigz & Futurewave – “Substance Abuse” (Album Review)
Rigz is a 30 year old MC from Rochester, New York who came up as a member of Da Cloth. He’s put out a few EPs & mixtapes throughout the last 3 years (with the most notable being Roach Gutta Slums) but just a week after Mooch dropped his new album Da 5th Power, Rigz is enlisting Futurewave of Brown Bag Money for his full-length debut.
After the spoken word intro “Basura”, the first song “Sheridan Grapes” talks about those who’re scared of him over a demented instrumental while the track “Halfway Into da Future” with Asun Eastwood sees the 2 giving insight to loose-lipped talkers over a grim boom bap beat. The song “Dream” with Mooch finds the 2 talking about getting out of the ghetto over an instrumental that I can picture hearing in a mobster movie or something while the track “Bodies Behind Mojoes” talks about hustling over a nightly beat.
The song “Study da Champ” with Daniel Son, Mooch & Vinnie Paz is a complete barfest backed by over an eerie boom bap instrumental while the track “Balance It” trusting half of what you see & less of what you hear over a lavish beat. The song “Buckshot BB” with Rob Gates sees the 2 trading back & forth with each other over while the track “Melting Pot” talks about fucked up shit going on in the hood over forlorn boom bap beat.
The song “Picture Yourself” ponders how the listeners imagines oneself over a symphonic instrumental while the track “Top Student” with Times Change finds the 2 making a number of education references over a paranormal beat. The song “Brake Lights” talks about how that’s the last thing you gon’ see over a mournful instrumental & then the closer “Embers” gets introspective over a jazzy beat.
Rigz really outdid himself on this one & I’ll even say it’s one of the best albums that I’ve heard all year. Some of his most well-written bars ever pop up on here & Futurewave’s sound compliments him damn near perfectly.
Score: 9/10
