Slaine – “One Day” (Album Review)
Slaine is a veteran MC from Boston, Massachusetts most known for being a member of La Coka Nostra. He released an EP & a total of 4 mixtapes before coming through with his debut album A World with No Skies in 2011 under Suburban Noize Records. This was followed up with The Boston Project in 2013 as well as The King of Everything the following year but after dropping his Slaine is Dead EP in 2016, the man is making a comeback & enlisting The Arcitype to produce his 4th full-length album.
Things kick off with “Redemption”, where Slaine addresses his feeling of atonement over a nocturnal instrumental. The next song “Time is Now” talks about living in the moment over a funky boom bap beat while the track “Still Got My Gun” with the Heavy Metal Kings sees Slaine alongside Vinnie Paz & Ill Bill getting bloodthirsty over a funereal boom bap beat. The track “Trick the Trap” vividly depicts the hard knock life over a grimy instrumental while the song “It Catches You” is laced with emotional lyricism backed by a grand instrumental.
The track “Broken Toys” with Apathy & Locksmith sees the 3 talking about clout chasers over an woozy instrumental while the song “Night Will Fall” talks about embracing your shadows over a bleak boom bap beat. “The Feeling I Get” then talks about rising above it all over a sinister instrumental whereas “The Day Before I Die” vents about his inner demons over a settler yet grim instrumental. The track “Can’t Stay the Same” talks about maturity over a boom bap beat with some plink synths while the song “One More Day” gets motivational over an impassioned instrumental. Then there’s the closer “Do What You Love”, where Slaine advises the listener to follow their dreams over a boom bap beat with some strings.
Right here is the comeback that Slaine truly deserves, easily his most mature body of work yet in my opinion. He really details everything that’s been going on in his life throughout the past 5 years & what little features are present add a lot to the context of the album. Grown man rap at it’s finest.
Score: 7/10
