Release Date: June 28th, 2012
Hip-hop seems to be in a really good place right now and one of the main reasons for that may be the diversity of what’s coming out of the speakers these days. The New York duo of Matter Ov Fact and EP, collectively known as The Ghastly Duo, are the ones behind the rawness of the collaborative soundscape and rhymes that make up Lone Sharks. Also known as the Doppelgangaz, these two bring a smooth, sample-heavy and lyric-soaked 15-track effort that screams part soul, part R & B, with a little bit of reggae thrown in to form a Voltron effect. This results in a laid-back, easy listening hip-hop album.
Claiming to prefer a level of anonymity, the Doppelgangaz preach everything from the “Doppel Gospel,” where they channel their inner Marley while reminiscing on childhood terrors and prepare the listener for the upcoming takeover they plan to achieve, to the art of “Dumpster Diving,” where they choose to deviate from the norm and hold nothing back using the metaphor of digging around in primitive filth, and even manage to give a shout out to an old-school NBA all-star in Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, which is not an easy task. The production team rolls out some menacing, sinister mood music to bridge the gap between tracks, with smooth instrumentals like the opening “Happy Face,” the middle connection of “The Gods” and the voice-over heavy, downright creepy “Lush,” which lets the listener know their affinity for being inebriated on a regular basis.
They proclaim to be modern-day nomads and brag about sneaking in a little alcohol when they’re not supposed to. They lust after loose women and cloak themselves in mystery. But, they’re definitely not afraid to flex their lyrical muscle. Tracks like “NY Bushmen” are blessed with beautiful bars where they trade rhymes about being prone to dropping idioms and “eating titty bar chicken wings,” showing some realness and versatility. “Wench Rench” gives the team a backdrop that brings back visions of Craig Mack and finds them talking about everything from barely being able to outfit their living spaces to paying for love.
From tales of being down on their luck, money-wise, on “Rap $ Unemployment,” to eerie, Hitchcockian songs like “Dead Already,” the diversity shown on Lone Sharks lets the album play out like a movie of which you can’t quite put your finger on the plot, but it’s an enjoyable ride to try along the way. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s definitely a solid effort from a couple of guys from NYC with a lot of stories to tell.
The Doppelgangaz – Lone Sharks tracklist:
- “Happy Face”
- “Nexium”
- “Get Em”
- “Doppel Gospel”
- “Dumpster Diving”
- “The Gods”
- “Pack Kevorkian”
- “Wench Rench”
- “Rap $ Unemployment”
- “Like What Like Me”
- “Lush”
- “NY Bushmen”
- “At Night”
- “Dead Already”
- “Suppository”
