TradeMark & Kafka – “Back 2 Back” (Album Review)

With the moniker, “Ordinary People By Day… Hip Hop Heroes By Night”. Shawn Mcskills a.k.a. Trademark and friend of 10 years Kafka caught a following with their latest track, “Your Highness”. Budding Philadelphia rapper/producer act rises to the occasion with the release of their new album, titled, ‘Back 2 Back’.

Compiled of 15-tracks, Trademark and Kafka equally handle sole production on the album with each manning half of the tracklist’s production. Trademark takes the lead on with the bars on the album, as the two relive their childhood of growing up in the 90s. Talking nostalgia artifacts like Sega Genesis, SNES, and Save By the Bell. Back-to-back, the entire album is a lift-off point for the duo is ready to take their act to the next level.

The flow of the project is strongly driven by the comfortable lyricism between the two recording artists. Inspired by playful commentary with words that involves witty rhymes, slick references, and double downed punchlines. Trademark & Kafka hold each other down and their support system is organically successful team work that shows throughout the entire project.

Production on the project is filled with vintage 90s bells and whistles that complete the concept of the project that is ultimately fascinating. Familiar surroundings for the two as the they are equally competitive and supportive shows the lengthy history of the best friends.

Checkout “Back 2 Back” below.

While “Your Highness” is the duo’s chosen single, the standout track on the album comes in the song, “Invincible”. A sampled track, with Trademark and Kafka flexing highlight reel wordplay consecutively and as one. Championship flow awarding like winning the championship and unlocking the Bill Clinton character on NBA Jam.

Completely, ‘Back 2 Back’ is a colorfully humored project that is enjoyable from beginning to end thanks to its iconic 90s references and vintage conceptual production. The album hones in on the two’s longtime chemistry that comes off organically natural for the two’s best work to-date. Sound is astonishing, complimented lyricism with matching high-quality production to tailor, and overall an exciting reflection of a memorable era that is well-deserving of an appreciative capsule by these two rising stars.

Rating: 8/10

Hightlights: Energy

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