Sutter Kain & Donnie Darko – “Before the World Got to Us” (EP Review)

This is the brand new EP from East Coast hip hop artists Sutter Kain & Donnie Darko. The first of whom is a producer, DJ & occasionally MC from New York & the latter being an MC from New Jersey. The 2 have been collaborating with one another pretty much since the beginning & to kick off the 2nd quarter of 2020, they’re coming together for Before the World Got to Us.

The opener “Gladys” finds Donnie talks about growing up in Newark over a slowed down loop of “Giving Up” by Gladys Knight while the next song “Block Game, Pt. 3” pretty much addresses the current state of the world over a boom bap beat flipping Debbie Taylor’s “Let’s Prove Them Wrong”. The track “Driving My Crazy” addresses how the world today is insane over a flawlessly incorporated soul sample while the song “Life, Pt. 4” is essentially about how rough life is over an instrumental that kinda has an Alchemist influence to it.

The track “Shadows” talks about almost dying twice over a mesmerizing beat while the song “Feelings” goes at those who rap alike over a boom bap beat. The penultimate track “As the Beat Cries, Pt. 2” standing ground despite life being rocky over a flute & some humming then the closer “Loser, Pt. 10 (Before the World Got to Us)” tackles depression over a boom bap beat over a hypnotic vocal sample.

It’s more an EP to me, but still great nonetheless. Sutter Kain’s production has only gotten grimier with time, Donnie Darko’s sounds angrier than ever & the 2 continue to bring the best out of each other after all the extensive collaborating over the years. Really looking forward for the sequel After the World Got to Us next month.

Score: 8/10