It isn’t difficult to surmise that Bru Lei grinds like many emcees, continuously releasing material, rarely taking a break, instead finding solace in his work. He dropped new material today, or rather, material that no one’s heard yet. The Crumbs E.P. (Public School Records) was culled from sessions recorded with his former Spitball crew member Przm, before passing away. The material on the release was recorded before 2007 and now sees the light of day, which may show a difference in style and energy from music out in 2019.
Here, Przm dealt with clear melodies and thick beats which is a welcome approach more than 12 years in the making. Bru tears through tracks with a few guest appearances by Jakki the Motamouth, Eclypse Da Predanatural, and more. The emcees and beats fit naturally together like hands in leather gloves. “Nobody (feat. Eclypse)” bounces like a dark nursery rhyme trekking through murky rainwater on urban streets as both emcees wax poetic against one another. But I gravitate further on to “Ball Em Up (feat. Jakki).” Jakki has always been the underrated rapper that never gets his due, and here his prose is on some next level shit.
On “Ego Crusher,” musically it sounds comparable to the imagery of Bru rapping in front of a crowd in a 1930s speakeasy. The vintage tone of the beat and music here is quite charming. While on “Parking Lot Pimps,” Bru Lei remain unflinching and, um, unapologetic. Bru Lei wraps his rhymes about waiting in club parking lots with the homies, somewhat misogynistic with lyrics about those “broads” and “hoes” but the beat is tight, like a 90s throwback with a looped horn. Bru need not apologize for something that was recorded over a decade ago, so anyone listening, just let it go and enjoy the flow!
The Crumbs E.P., this joint is tight and harks back to the heyday of lyricism and tightly wound beats. It’s something that’s lacking in mainstream culture.
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