Myka 9 and Factor
Sovereign Soul
Fake Four

Factor can do no wrong, and with Myka 9 on the mic, his words fast as a tidal wave but smooth as butter, this whole CD is kind of unstoppable. Even if there’s nothing in here that particularly screams “breakthrough,” there are some surprising experiments. The most memorable track, “Heaven Up,” with Johanna Phraze and JNatural, certainly reclaims party rap boogie from its early 80s origins, and the blend here of live instruments and seamless samples/synths is not a goddam thing to fucking sneeze at. Yet I predict this one will be singled out for the concept piece “5 Mikes,” where Myka 9 takes turns with Open Mike Eagle, Mykill Miers, Mic King & Myk Mansun. It’s hard to pick a favorite here–everything is both an immediate jam and a sleeper cell of terrorist head-scratchers.

-D. M. Collins