Never underestimate the power the odd couple. Whether used in the name sitcom hijinks, to bridge the gap between genres, or to patch over emerging generational rifts, no shortage magic can manifest when previously unaligned powers find themselves on a collision course. Sharing little more than a penchant for turning modern-day hip-hop on its axis, the magnetic chemistry that radiated from and Kenny Beats during the former’s visit to The Cave has been harnessed and extrapolated in phenomenal ways on UNLOCKED. Much like he has with an assortment artists including Key! Rico Nasty and , Kenny has tapped into Denzel’s distinct brand South Florida hip-hop and merged their sounds accordingly. Arriving through a deceptive fog fake beef and strategic posts, the finished product is a team-up seismic proportions that recalls a new-age Preemo & Royce, Gibbs & Madlib or, with its appropriation samples from all obscure corners instrumentation and infomercials, Madvillainy itself.
Launched in conjunction with a short film that displayed the pair’s untapped comedic range, the duo satirized the issue leaks and the all-too-real plight making “$4 from 2 million streams” before being plunged into a world cyber-psychedelia. Vivid, disorienting and prone to lightning-quick transitions, this stop-motion, anime, and Adult Swim-indebted visual is the perfect accompaniment for a project practically hemorrhaging with creativity. Opening in disorienting fashion as a narrator rhymes f antiquated rhetoric about an unspecified mental condition and “a negative phase,” the arrival “Take_it_Back_v2” quickly makes it known that the titular unlocking isn’t a reference to any technology, but rather the limitless ingenuity their brains.
Setting f in the realm menacing, retro-futuristic boom-bap, the track establishes some the key traits that’ll recur throughout the EP’s duration. Flitting from feeling manic to meticulously constructed on a dime, Denzel dual-wields odes to Bubba Sparxx and Rosa Parks in a way that only he could, all while embracing enough vocal manipulation to become a one-man posse cut. Exemplified from the moment that he veers between a dirty-south inspired, Screwed Up Click bark to a piercing high-pitched holler, Denzel’s willingness to be guided by Kenny’s unconventional borders are pro that they’re relishing the act bouncing f one another.
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On Zel’s part, he’s rhyming in a way that feels instinctual and immediate. Just as he did during the construction 2019’s ZUU, it seems that Curry is adhering to his new teammates’ personal mantra “don’t overthink shit” and allowing the poeticisms to present themselves without any agony. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to his references, Denzel juggles nods to Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and GTA V in the space three bars on “Lay_Up.m4a” before rebuffing the point A to point B nature traditional music industry models: “Why I gotta go on tour to show that I’m goin’ through stages?” Presenting a thrilling checkpoint between the old and new, Denzel takes the aggression that’s been running through his veins since the days 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms and uses it to elevate the abrasive “DIET_.” Sounding like the genetically mutated missing link between and Zillakami, the gradually increasing tension between verse and chorus displays both parties’ range in stark clarity.
Meanwhile, Kenny’s prolific run over the past few years carries on without compromising on quality or scope. If anything, a common thread between much UNLOCKED’s production would be the use woozy textures and the inevitable return to lucidness by way thudding percussion. What sets Kenny apart as such a compelling beatmaker is his nonchalance when it comes to disrupting the listener with a funk bassline here or a squalling industrial clatter there. A boundaryless approach that was likely adapted from his time within the hyperactive world EDM as one half Loudpvck, Kenny’s growing stature as one hip-hop’s most entrusted producers has only emboldened him further. With only minimal assistance from Denzel, the fascinating sonic world “Track07” makes a strong case for Kenny heeding the example LA beat scene pioneers such as , Ras G or Samiyam and producing a standalone body work his own.
Concluding with the blistering, bass-heavy assault “Cosmic.M4A”, the narration’s final concession “we did everything in the world to exterminate them but, ha, no apparent luck” is fitting when you consider how both Denzel and Kenny have balked at mainstream-mandated expectations or conduct wherever possible. Despite its 18-minute runtime, this project doesn’t feel disposable. Whether it’s Zeltron’s impeccable wordplay or the adventurousness Kenny’s instrumentals, there’s plenty to be entranced by and unpack in greater detail. They aren’t reinventing the wheel and had no aspirations doing so. Instead, UNLOCKED caps f another quietly prolific f-season for Denzel amid giving Kenny room to showcase his work ethic and near-maniacal creativity. Far more than a joyless display virtuosity from two the best in their fields, what makes UNLOCKED so compelling is the inescapable sense fun that comes hardwired into it.