Music Review: The Step Brothers ( @Evidence x @Alchemist) – Lord Steppington

If you are in the know, then you would understand that Evidence and The Alchemist has some of the best emcee-producer chemistry there is to have. Anything that they have worked on together has been practically dope to even classic underground greatness. Many go back to their work together on the Dilated Peoples’ albums. However, their obvious harmony evolved into the demand for an album to complete the cypher of musical synergy they share. With that shared, they came together to form The Stepbrothers.

After releasing their first album Lord Steppington, it is easy to see that their work together is just two “brothers having fun in the studio”.

The production on this album veers toward the range of “good-pretty good-banging”. The hard hitting track on “Byron G” does nothing but accentuate the lyrics of Evidence, Domo Genesis, and The Whooliganz. Meanwhile, the subjective darkness on “See The Rich Man Play” only gives Roc Marciano and The Stepbrothers room to express what the production demands them to. Yet, the 3-beat-for-the-price-of-1 “Swimteam Rastas” allows them to rhyme with style and fluctuating subject matter and literary devices. Keeping things short and sweet, the production worked.

Lyrically, The Stepbrothers didn’t delve too far into any type of territory of justified meaning. To explain even further, they were in it to flex their skills and have fun over the beats. While there were different hints of truth, ideals, and beliefs, there were never any overwhelming messages being presented. Then again, having a lot of “messages” would have taken away from the fact that these guys are in the studio to have fun and bang out a synergetic album. Thus, the wordplay remains wordy with very few burdening messages.

With Lord Steppington, you get more no frills hip hop: banging beats, dope lyrics, and not too many controlling concepts. This is the perfect display of what The Stepbrothers need to offer. Instead of an Evidence album reflecting on life in reference to the weather, we get an album of two guys gelling together to make great music. So, I suggest taking that step into the realm of Lord Steppington.