The Art Of The Old Cold

El-P and Killer Mike featuring Big Boi “Banana Clipper”

I know that “sweet” is not a word that suits the music El-P and Killer Mike have been making over the past year or so, but I can’t listen to any of it now without thinking about their partnership as a hip-hop love story in which these two guys who have been kicking around for years finally found a collaborator who truly completes them. Their styles are so simpatico – there share a true reverence for late 80s rap, but their music doesn’t sound dated; they use that old style and aggression for something that sounds sharp, heavy, and fresh today. And maybe that’s because they stand out so much in the context of contemporary rap, and maybe it’s because there’s an anger and cynicism in their voices that rings true in a way that wouldn’t feel as legit coming from younger men. Their age and experience is a benefit, particularly when they rhyme together – there’s a sense, underneath everything, that they’ve both got a second chance to shine in their career, and they’re not taking it for granted.

Get the whole record for free from DJ Booth.