Some of the greatest art in hip hop culture was formed by a single emcee linked with a single producer. When the right combination is made we get magic. Some great examples of this are Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Prodigy & Alchemist, Royce da 5’9 & DJ Premier, and so on. Today there’s a new dynamic duo on the scene with Dead5et on the beats, and Universal on the microphone. These 2 underground hip hop juggernauts just joined forces to create the 5 track EP titled “No Face”
"The key is education, gotta be the vibration / but remember to keep still, and practice meditation"
Universal x Dead5et - "No Debate"
Universal x Dead5et "No Face" | Rap Nerd Review
The album starts off with the dark title track "No Face". Over an eerie beat, Universal paints a clear picture of a dark figure that he encountered as a youth. To me it sounds like the track is about the emotion of fear in general maybe? Track 2, "No Debate", is definitely a banger and one of my favorites on the EP. The beat is soulful and reminiscent of early production from Kanye and Just Blaze. This song is very inspirational. The EP takes a super serious turn at track 3, "Take Me Home". On this one, Universal gets vulnerable speaking about his mother's passing. He speaks about drinking and smoking more to cope with the stress.
"They call me sun 'cause I shine like one / I'm an underground king north side no bun"
Universal x Dead5et - "Ignorance"
On track 4, "Ignorance", this one is just full of dope bars from start to finish! Pure lyricism, punchlines, and cocky wordplay just to let everyone know that they can do that too. The project concludes with the militant sounding "My Design". The chorus and beat are extremely powerful. The general message I got from this song is that Universal is ready to go toe to toe with anyone in the rap game to get to his destination. He feels like he was literally made for this. I admire the confidence and the time he puts into crafting his bars.
Overall this EP was amazing and gave me everything I need from a Hip-Hop project. I don't have any complaints or critiques, just wanna say thank you both for keeping real rap alive! I'm definitely looking forward to more music from the Duo.
TAP IN WITH Universal ---> https://northsidegorilla.bandcamp.com/
TAP IN WITH Dead5et ---> https://dead5etmusic.com/
Rap Nerd Rating (5 out of 5)
written by Derek "Rap Nerd" Moore
Rap Nerd LLC