Grindset Motivates Listeners to Stay Alive & Rightfully Enjoy Their Self-Titled Debut (Album Review)
Grindset is a MC/producer duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Fatt Father on the mic & DJ Jewels behind the boards. Both of whom have been putting it down for the city for a little over 2 decades now & have actually worked with each other a little bit in the past, but are now forming like Voltron & delivering a self-titled debut.
“Mindset = Grindset” kicks off the album with some strings & a vocal sample to spit that organic boss talk whereas “Get ‘Em” takes a grimier route keeping them shook. “Welcome to the Eastside” goes into soulful territory describing what it’s like in titular part of Detroit, but then “Bar After Bars” flips “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” by Wendy Rene urging everyone to watch how he does it right lyrically.
Meanwhile on “I’m the One You Call”, we have Fatts over some more crooning samples calling out people who be shit-talking 1 minute & needing something the next leading into Twin Towers coming together along with Trick-Trick for the solemn “Used to Be” talking about being used. Finale comes into the picture for the rugged “Tried & True” talking logistics just before the vibrant “These Heaux” talks about not having time for such.
“I’m Not the One” shoots for a more tranquil aesthetic describing how crazy the love of his life can be while “NoMoe” atmospherically talks about not letting stress consume him any longer. The song “Son & Eye” with DJ Oreeyo marks a return to the boom bap to tag team ‘em lyrically like father, like son while the penultimate track “Go Mode” with Oba Rowland is a grim trap banger talking about the titular headspace. “Tops New Tenant” then sends off the album by declaring himself as such over a lounging instrumental.
If this is just the beginning of Grindset, then I’m very much looking forward to hearing what they have in store down the road because this is a highly impressive debut from the duo. I admire how they give off a more traditional hip hop sound & coat it with a modern texture along with the range of moods that each cut puts me in.
Score: 9/10