Some artists make music to entertain, while others make music to reflect on life. Usually, we appreciate those that do a mixture of both. Many listeners want their emotions to be moved and bodies grooved. In other instances, we want the music to just match our emotions or take us to another place. Yet, there are those albums that do whatever the artist wants regardless of what listeners are looking for.

 

I would put Swerve and SYG in the “making music for them” category. The best part about it is that Cold Winters and Warm Whiskey 2 is some of the best hip hop to come out this year.

 

I think what makes the music compelling is that both of these emcees rap about being regular guys in a realm where most try to come off as superhuman. “Don’t Judge” allows both of them to do what they do best: wax poetic about who they are and their wins/losses. It continues with tracks like the sing songy chorus of “Paradise”, the staccato flow infused “Gotta Be More Than”, and the mellow-yet-intense “LifeGoes(Cycles)”.

 

Hell, even their intermissions (like the playfully groovy-yet-serious “(i)nEquality”) are great to listen to.

 

What deserves equal attention is that, with a sound that stays jazzy and consistent, this project involves a multitude of producers. There are over 10 producers involved in the 20 tracks comprised of this album. Nonetheless, whether it is the Grant P produced “Know It All” to the Gloam produced “Above The Water”, everything sounds sonically complimentary. Even with familiars and unfamiliar names like D-Rock, Insightful, DJ Mitsu, ODP, Rav. P, DJ Mentos, Roku, Heikki Hoo, Rise Sovereign, and Evolve One, everything works. Thus, much applause is necessary for what all these producers achieved: to help create a sonically cohesive album.

 

With all “jazzy killer and no filler”, Cold Weather and Warm Whiskey 2 makes the use of human emotion and experience over impressive production from a bevy of producers. Swerve and SYG do what they do best with the rhymes. The producers do what they do best with their musical concoctions. What we have is something both familiar yet attractively inspired. In the end, an album that references frigid climates and lukewarm libations may be the sleeper hit of 2013.

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