I’m late to the game, but when RTJ4 dropped this summer, I fell in love and then went back to previous albums, and found this one and fell in love a second time. Is that even possible?

Note to the reader: I generally don’t listen to music as explicit as RTJ—I just don’t enjoy all the vulgarity. That said, the music that LP creates and the rhymes that Killer Mike craft are just so good, that it gets a pass in my book. I don’t know how I’ve managed to sleep on RTJ for so long. I can only blame myself. When RTJ4 dropped this summer, I was instantly smitten, and like any good fan, I dug into all the previous albums. I don’t think I’m alone when I talk about this particular album as being the best RTJ album. The standout tracks Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 followed up by Close Your Eyes (feat. Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine) are the one-two punch that will draw in any hip-hop/rap fan.

Favorite tracks are the two previously listed Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 and Close Your Eyes. The way that Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 bounces is just so great. The riff, a simple two note jam drives the track with various beats that build to a point where you feel like you could knock out Mike Tyson. The track ends and the next thing you know, Zack de la Rocha is in your ears with a quick edit loop of “Run them jewels fast” that is as pForm as you can get.

I don’t know how LP does his production, but what I really love about this album is how it feels like the hip-hop/rap of my youth. Real instruments, samples from obscure vinyl, scratching, feel... those are the sounds that drew me in then, and still do now.