For a short period of time now, word had been circulating about an upcoming El Michels Affair and Black Thought album but with the way rumors are so easily swirled around social media these days, you never know what to believe. Then a promo emailed landed in from the label with the first selections from what will surely be a heavy rotation of “Glorious Game”, the perfectly fitting title for this collaboration.
The lead single, “Grateful” a slow flow, flute filled banger with the classic chant, ting-a-ling a ling soundbite to compliment arguably the greatest modern day MC who seems to be going full steam ahead after last years release with Danger Mouse. Wordplay is in full effect as we would expect and we’re hearing El Michels Affair in a way that we’ve never heard them before which steps their already perfect sound up to another level.
Covid lockdowns were sort of the gift and the curse for artist and touring musicians and so many projects of this sort have been in the workings because of it which is exactly the case here as Michels explains that the two met during the early 2000’s “Then, fast forward to 2020 and COVID lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me to send him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy.”
Glorious Game drops April 14th over at https://bigcrownrecords.com/