Atlanta wordsmith Stan Smith and Osaka-residing producer/arranger MFP ( aka Mindfull Peace) clearly put their heart and soul into their recently released collabo album Busy Work. The set is a top-shelf collection of sharp yet down-to-earth rhymes from Smith as well as sample-heavy champion sounds from a beat-making maestro in the form of MFP. There is a much-appreciated focus on creating a grounded atmosphere for fans of the granular and milled, crate-digging sound to enjoy. I’m not sure the two music-makers were in the same physical space when they brewed up this album, but it definitely feels as if they were. Just a few minutes into the project I found myself envisioning Smith sitting in a basement studio, mumbling rhymes from a notepad as MFP nodded along as one of his beats filled the space like Backwoods smoke.

Album highlights include a sparkling ode to hip-hop’s history for striving to be the best rhyme spitter on the mic called “Floetry“; a rumbling boom-bap slap called “Justwannarap” that finds Stan sounding comfortable in his role as a hip-hop everyman that’s navigating life pretty deftly; an eclectic cut called “Allout!” that ebbs and flows with the same quirky energy as the dusty vocal sample at its center; an absorbing ode to Stan‘s deceased grandfather, called “Grandaddy“, that bubbles and pulses to a cosmically gliding score from MFP; and a very cool, upright-bass sampling number called “Wachugonnadoo“. Admittedly, Busy Work may be a bit of a boutique-shop-styled rarity in a landscape overflowing with chain-store pop-rap releases, but its unique sound and voice absolutely make it worth going out your way to check it out.

You can listen to (and buy) the album via the links listed below as well as catch up on the latest music and news from Stan Smith & MFP by making sure that you’re connected to each artist via the social links listed below.

“?????????” – joebananas69 via Instagram

vibes -dopeness, boom bap, super emceeing, bumping, introspective, champion sounds, ghetto blaster music, b-boy document, sample-heavy, down-to-earth, crate-digging, sharp, jazzy, grounded, lyrics to go

Stream & buy Stan Smith & MFP’s music on…
( Amazon | Bandcamp | Deezer | iTunes | Spotify | Tidal )

Connect with Stan Smith on…
( Facebook | Instagram | Official Site | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube )

Connect with MFP on…
( Facebook | Instagram | Official Site | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube )