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Crimeapple Plays Poet & Philosopher on 15th LP “This, Is Not That” Prod. by Apollo Brown (Album Review)

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New Jersey lyricist Crimeapple enlisting Apollo Brown to produce 15th full-length album. Becoming a fan of his in the fall of 2017 with his 4th EP Sweet Dreams along with the Big Ghost Ltd. produced full-length debut Aguardiente that following spring, his profile in the underground grew exponentially from there. Discography standouts include the DJ Skizz-produced Wet Dirt, the DJ Muggs-produced Medallo, Cartagena, Breakfast in Hradec & Sin Cortar. El León produced by Preservation from the beginning of this year became the most I’ve enjoyed Crime’s music in a while & the official Aguardiente sequel Bazuko was a tad bit better, which raised the stakes for the Mello Music Group-backed This, Is Not That.

After the titular intro, the first song “Mercy” is this rap rock opener telling everyone who wants to take a portion to take precaution & to press your luck since you wanna press buttons whereas “Superstitious” takes the boom bap route instrumentally talking his passport lookin’ like a part of a prison gang. “Wonderful Feelin’” featuring Willie the Kid works in some strings detailing the mafioso life while “Know No Better” soulfully talks about a select few needing to stay inside.

“The Problem” goes for a drumless yet crooning vibe to the beat enjoying the fruits of his labor when he started & being in the tropics these days just before “Pitiful” ominously talks from a distressing place for roughly 3 minutes. “Almanacs” featuring Sonnyjim brings the pair together over pianos with some kicks & snares addressing those who need more than help, but then “Coke with Ice” strips the drums & keeps the keys in tact to talk about the way it be crackin’.

To begin the final leg, “My Own Good” has this atmospheric boom bap approach admitting that he still rides through his old hood time to time when he really shouldn’t be while the drumless “Favoritism” talks about being around the world & not seeing any other fix like his babies. “Mis Amigos” nears the conclusion of the LP clarifying that he’s the biggest in the county & “New Dreams” ends it with a guitar comparing it to the blind leading the blind.

This, Is Not That marks the rebirth of smoke-stained bars with Crimeapple playing both poet & philosopher by flipping bilingual manteca rhymes with a chef’s precision as well as stirring up the street grime & serving it with a side of sharp wit to remind the audience that there’s still beauty to be found in the decay over Apollo Brown’s dusty yet soulful sound built as if it’s ancient architecture.

Score: 9/10

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