Tommy and Richie Present Billy Controller 7 Buck 65

REVIEW: Tommy and Richie Present, Billy

“I’m no rap conservationist but sometimes what’s-old-is-new again is truly fresh, and Billy’s gene pool is rejuvenating.”

Tommy and Richie Present, Billy (Controller 7 and Buck 65)

Comin’ straight outta San Jose, CA and Sackville, NS, respectively, the duo billing themselves Tommy and Richie are actually more widely recognized as producer Controller 7 and rapper Buck 65. And while I’m not too sure who Billy is, I can assure any fan of classic hip hop mixes and golden-era experimentalism (think Prince Paul’s heyday with Stetsanonic and De La Soul) of a payoff for taking this Soundcloud trip, which dropped innocuously on May 1. Richie leaves the beats to Tommy while handling the mic and turntables, freeing him up for a return to his early Language Arts-styled roots, leaving behind somewhat misled attempts at grandiosity that his last LP proper, Neverlove, pretty much dropped the ball on. I’m no rap conservationist but sometimes what’s-old-is-new again is truly fresh, and Billy’s gene pool is rejuvenating. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “I Used To”

Tommy and Richie Bandcamp

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