Can you really believe that “Banger Management” marks Visionaries alum LMNO’s sixth (!) LP of 2010? I mean, c’mon son, that sh*t is INSANE! Talk about work ethic, cats don’t have nothin’ on LMNO this year! Having already toured with one another, LMNO and Deep Rooted’s Mr. Brady decided to link up for “Banger Management” last year. Recording just a few tracks over the span of 2009, it wasn’t until LMNO announced that he was dropping ten(!) studio jawns for 2010 that these two really put their heads together, with Brady handling all of the production duties for the album. However, you’ll also find the underrated Mr. Brady more than capable of sharing the mic alongside one of the most recognizable voices in all of the underground. As early into it’s release as it may be (the album actually dropped TODAY), it’s safe to say that of all the different artists/producers that LMNO has collaborated with for each project, the sixth outing is the finest to date, much in part to the contributions of the multi-faceted Mr. Brady.
Of course, I may be a bit biased, Deep Rooted has been one of my favorite underground groups since their inception. Their workings, “D.E.E.P.R.O.O.T.E.D”, “The Second Coming” and “A New Beginning” have remained in rotation over the years, but Brady does offer something truly special to the album. His beats have a futuristic-funk appeal to them, yet tracks such as the bareboned, raw drums of “Stomp” will have you snapping your neck while causing much damage to your preferred audio system. Brady’s production shines most on “Banger Management’s” three opening cuts: the title cut is personified funk as LMNO & Brady flow effortlessly over a bluesy guitar lick laced with subwoofer shaking bass knocks. And while some could mistake LMNO & Mr. Brady’s deliveries on the aforementioned cut as “lackadaisical”, both emcees coast over one of the funkiest cuts of 2010. Both “Original” and “Shoot” find Brady upping the ante as the two tracks jump out of the starting blocks with frantic drums and well placed synths that truly capture the essence of Mr. Brady’s signature production style.
At only 12 tracks, “Banger Management” is void of all filler. Straight to the point lyrics, with precise production is the album’s primary focus, and it does not disappoint. With LMNO releasing albums at a rapid-fire, record pace it’s easily to overlook his past efforts (and unfair) with the likes of Theory Hazit, Dert, etc., but if you’re gonna’ put some hard-earned dollars on an LMNO album this year, “Banger Management” is that album. Oddly enough, it’s the album that LMNO sounds most at ease with, as Brady’s backdrops mesh seamlessly with Leave My Name Out’s “no frills” lyricism and delivery. Don’t get it confused, Brady is no slouch on the mic either. Nearly two decades into the game, it’s easy to forget that Mr. Brady has been lacing mind-bending productions with his signature blunted, laid back flow that is well known and respected on the Left Coast.
Of all the albums that dropped today, including the long-awaited Big Boi LP, guess which one is downloading in Itunes as I type this? Yep, you guessed it, and in my humble opinon, “Banger Management” is the better release as LMNO and Mr. Brady stayed true to their roots and have successfully made hip-hop for the underground, their loyal fanbase, not Top 40 radio.
LMNO & MR. BRADY
Banger Management
iTunes | Amazon
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