Detroit emcee/producer Marv Won returning for his 5th full-length solo LP albeit the first after signing to Mello Music Group. Coming up as a part of the world famous Fat Killahz, he has gone on to become well respected in the battle circuit & has released his last 4 albums alongside a few EPs. It’s been over 2 years since we last heard from Marv on his 3rd EP Hagler & he’s looking to respond to everyone asking about his well-being by simply saying I’m Fine, Thanks for Asking.
The title track is a self-produced boom bap opener expressing that his feeling aren’t allowed when they surely are & that they really be expecting him to save their asses whereas “Measuring Stick” by the Twin Towers featuring eLZhi brings the 3 Motor City titans coming together for a gritty, bass-laden anthem that reverberates with the city’s hard-knock life. “Roc Nation Brunch” featuring Freeway blends epic orchestration & Joe Louis drums that hit like Tommy Hearns to deliver a tableau of Black excellence while “Purple” talks about a woman being destroyed by a kind of love.
“It’s Ok” goes for a smoother approach instrumentally providing comfort food for those simply trying to get through today while “Higher” brings this ghostly vocal sample flip into the fold so Marv can reasonably talk about becoming a better person. “Say My Name” featuring Monica Blaire soulfully encourages to acknowledge them by saying their names out loud so they know who they fuckin’ with, but then “Nosy” featuring Rapper Big Pooh returns to the boom bap explaining why they couldn’t sell dope.
Quelle Chris does the hook on the penultimate track “Good Thangs” crafting an auditory experience that feels like a voyage from the depths of darkness to the first light of dawn by orchestrates a narrative of resilience, guiding listeners through a transformation from enduring life’s hardships to savoring its most luminous moments & subtly reminds us of the virtue of humility, cautioning against the pitfalls of greed & encouraging us to keep our heads held high in adversity prior to “Grand Piano” ending the LP by stripping the drums to celebrate.
For his MMG debut, one of the Motor City’s most prolific battle MCs takes us on a soul-baring endeavor that weaves tales of struggle & triumph inspired by his storied life in his hometown. He brings a lyrical ferocity to his unapologetically raw & heartfelt rhymes by showcasing a seamless fusion of his word play & production with storytelling transcending mere verses that paint vivid portraits of life in the D. In a masterful blend of production & rap, this album is pure Detroit in it’s soul & sound reverberating with the city’s hard-knock life.
Score: 9/10