Pawz One x Robin Da Landlord – Sell Me A Dream: Flowstalgia (2018)

Artist: Pawz One x Robin Da landlord

Album: Sell Me A Dream: Flowstalgia

Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Sell Me A Dream
3. Sucker Punch
4. On The Daily (ft. Prince Po x Vegamonster)
5. Nothing To See Here
6. The Devil’s Own
7. It’s Like That (Remix)
8. Bad Weather (ft. MED x Vegamonster)
9. Sand Castles

Notes:

Pawz One and Robin Da Landlord craft some substantial boom-bap flavor with their recent release of Sell Me A Dream: Flowstalgia.

But this album isn’t just about boom-bap though as much as it is about supreme execution and a cohesive union between producer and emcee.  The tandem has a formula that is simple in concept but hard for many to execute.  Robin Da Landlord concocts a classic sound with drums that always hit hard and pull no punches.  Pawz One, on the other hand,  demonstrates a really deft microphone mastery.

For instance, On The Daily, solicits a sixteen from Organized Konfusion brethren, Prince Po, which gives an already dope track, a certain classic flavor.  The drums and the scratching are carefully assembled for maximum effect.  I really appreciate the integration of all the musical elements here.  And while Prince Po is a legend, Pawz One and Vegamonster also deliver some serious standout bars.

Rolling right from the aforementioned track into the next, on Nothing To See Here you have those same neck snapping drums but Pawz One now dropping lyrics of a more social and even political nature going after the establishment and its deceptive nature.  Here’s a snippet of the lyricism you can expect, and he does it with perfect flow and cadence:

…Let me give you the scoop / Cuz when I speak on Jed Mind Tricks, it ain’t about the group / Of Vinnie and Stoupe / I live in an infinite loop / Where they’re turning underprivileged young men into troops / Diminish the truth / The brand new Infiniti coup / Commercial rap break / That’s great / Breaking out the back breaks / So the lower class never makes it out of last place.

On The Devil’s Own, Da Landlord, while still killing it with the drums, fuses them with a strumming bass line and other unique instrumentation.   Pawz One seizes upon this unique and interesting instrumentation to drop some social and observational knowledge.  The irony is not lost on Pawz One, that while the city is filled with churches, it’s the vices around that really own the city  This is really a build up from the last track, articulated a little different.  This is great track placement as the chorus echoes:

There’s a church on every corner but the devil runs the whole block

The album ends perfectly with the introspective joint, Sand Castles, that is both somber and soulful with horns cascading up and down the track.  The vibe Robin Da Landlord made here is perfect and a really well thought out conclusion to the album.  It has Pawz One reminiscing on memories and times of his past where things were easier and life could be better spent enjoying the days and dreaming of what’s to come.  It’s something I can easily reflect on as a listener and takes me back illustrating the power of music.

The older you get the more you have to let go.

This project is consistent in its foundation and in its evolution.  That may sound like an oxymoron but let me explain.  The fundamentals of hard-hitting production and dope rhymes are evident throughout the project.  I keep on going back to the drums on this album, and you will have to hear them to believe me, but Robin Da Landlord made this project simply crack.   Each track, regardless of its nature, bangs.  But the topics and subject matter has evolved, as has Pawz One’s ability to convey.  I think this is the body of work that sets him apart as an emcee and is undoubtedly his best work to date in my opinion.