I first heard about Black Milk's newest album, Tronic, when The Truth pointed out a stellar review on cokemachineglow. Great review that makes you really want to check out the album. And let me tell you, it's worth it. On the first listen, half paying attention, I wasn't completely sold. But slowly, as I worked, I found myself bumping to the beat more and more. As the album progressed I became more and more entranced, hooked by the beats and flow.
The beats are lush and fresh, with live-sounding drums replacing the drum machines and 808s that are so in vogue, hot brass popping all over the tracks, and a refreshingly small reliance on the retro samples that characterize modern hip hop. From the opener "Long Story Short" it's clear that this album is huge, far larger than Black Milk has earned. The beats are so good it sounds like a mixtape that has ripped popular beats from various MCs and put them together in a best-of snapshot. It's an album that doesn't ask for your attention, it blindsides you, smacks you upside the head, and grabs it from you.
Black Milk takes the Roots and packages them with a pop that they have never been able to find. Black Milk takes The Cool Kids and adds the melodies they lack to avoid Beastie Boys comparisons. Black Milk takes the intensity of Pharoah Monche (who guests on "The Matrix") and voices it with pipes that you can bear to listen to for more than 5 tracks.
Indeed, it's rare for me to find a rap album I can listen to end-to-end without getting tired. But Tronic finds a magic sweet spot, avoiding the bloated hip hop norm and popping all over the album's 14 tracks. Each track differs enough from the previous that never is the record repetitive. "You love my style 'cause it's not what you're used to," Black Milk raps on "The Matrix," and he's right. It's a fresh take that succeeds fully.
Oh, and there's no autotune/vocoder on the whole album. Praise the Lord.
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